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What You’ll Do

By the end of this guide you’ll have:
  • Connected to the PressChain testnet
  • Read a live Capsule from the Bridge API
  • Queried bond state from the BondManager contract
  • Made an authenticated Bridge write call
Time: ~10 minutes. Prerequisites: Node.js 18+, basic ethers.js familiarity.

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Step 1 - Install Dependencies

mkdir presschain-quickstart && cd presschain-quickstart
npm init -y
npm install ethers dotenv
Create .env: 
RPC_URL=https://rpc.presschain.io
BRIDGE_URL=https://bridge.presschain.io
# Add your PressKey session token after authenticating:
# BRIDGE_TOKEN=your_session_token_here

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Step 2 - Connect and Verify Chain

// index.ts
import { JsonRpcProvider, formatUnits } from "ethers";
import "dotenv/config";

const provider = new JsonRpcProvider(process.env.RPC_URL!);

async function main() {
  const network = await provider.getNetwork();
  const blockNumber = await provider.getBlockNumber();

  console.log("Chain ID:", network.chainId.toString()); // 77117002
  console.log("Block:", blockNumber);
  console.log("Connected ✓");
}

main();

npx tsx index.ts
# Chain ID: 77117002
# Block: 1048392
# Connected ✓

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Step 3 - Read a Live Capsule from Bridge

The Bridge API is the fastest way to read normalized Capsule data - no ABI decoding required. 
// read-capsule.ts
import "dotenv/config";

async function getCapsule(capsuleId: string) {
  const res = await fetch(
    `${process.env.BRIDGE_URL}/capsules/${capsuleId}`
  );
  const data = await res.json();

  if (!data.ok) {
    console.error("Not found:", capsuleId);
    return;
  }

  const { capsule, content, contributors, evidence } = data;

  console.log("\n══ Capsule", capsuleId, "══");
  console.log("Title:       ", content?.title);
  console.log("Outlet:      ", capsule.outletSlug);
  console.log("Status:      ", capsule.status);       // accepted / pending / rejected
  console.log("Yes votes:   ", capsule.weightedYes);
  console.log("No votes:    ", capsule.weightedNo);
  console.log("Accepted at: ", capsule.acceptedAt ? new Date(Number(capsule.acceptedAt) * 1000).toISOString() : "-");
  console.log("Evidence:    ", evidence?.length ?? 0, "items");
  console.log("Contributors:", contributors?.map((c: any) => c.displayName).join(", "));
}

getCapsule("1");

​
Step 4 - Query Bond State from Contract

// check-bond.ts
import { JsonRpcProvider, Contract } from "ethers";
import "dotenv/config";

const BOND_MANAGER = "0x4b39edF3fA0e7DBAFFA45FDCBbE08B6681D1076b";

// Minimal ABI for what we need
const ABI = [
  "function isRoleActive(address wallet, uint8 role) view returns (bool)",
  "function getRoleBond(address wallet, uint8 role) view returns (uint8, uint8, uint256, uint256, uint256, uint256)",
  "function minimumBondByRole(uint8 role) view returns (uint256)",
  "function dissolutionFeeBps() view returns (uint16)",
];

// Role encoding: 1=Journalist, 2=Reporter, 3=Editor, 4=Governance, 5=Foundation
const ROLES = { Journalist: 1, Reporter: 2, Editor: 3 };

async function checkBond(walletAddress: string) {
  const provider = new JsonRpcProvider(process.env.RPC_URL!);
  const bondManager = new Contract(BOND_MANAGER, ABI, provider);

  for (const [roleName, roleId] of Object.entries(ROLES)) {
    const isActive = await bondManager.isRoleActive(walletAddress, roleId);
    const minBond = await bondManager.minimumBondByRole(roleId);

    if (isActive) {
      const [, , bondedAmount, , activatedAt] = await bondManager.getRoleBond(walletAddress, roleId);
      console.log(`\n${roleName} (role ${roleId})`);
      console.log(`  Bonded:   ${formatUnits(bondedAmount, 18)} PRESS`);
      console.log(`  Since:    ${new Date(Number(activatedAt) * 1000).toLocaleDateString()}`);
    } else {
      console.log(`\n${roleName}: not active (min: ${formatUnits(minBond, 18)} PRESS)`);
    }
  }
}

checkBond("0xYOUR_WALLET_ADDRESS");

​
Step 5 - List Recent Capsules via Bridge

// list-capsules.ts
import "dotenv/config";

async function listRecent(outletSlug?: string, limit = 5) {
  const params = new URLSearchParams({ limit: String(limit) });
  if (outletSlug) params.set("outlet", outletSlug);

  const res = await fetch(`${process.env.BRIDGE_URL}/capsules?${params}`);
  const { capsules } = await res.json();

  console.log(`\nRecent capsules (${capsules?.length ?? 0}):\n`);
  for (const c of capsules ?? []) {
    console.log(`#${c.id}  [${c.status.padEnd(8)}]  ${c.outletSlug}  -  ${c.title ?? "(no title)"}`);
  }
}

listRecent(); // all outlets
// listRecent("presshash"); // specific outlet

​
Step 6 - Authenticated Bridge Request

Write routes require a Bearer token from a PressKey session: 
// submit-check.ts - verify your token works
import "dotenv/config";

async function checkAuth() {
  const res = await fetch(`${process.env.BRIDGE_URL}/wallet/${process.env.WALLET_ADDRESS}/roles`, {
    headers: {
      "Authorization": `Bearer ${process.env.BRIDGE_TOKEN}`,
    },
  });

  if (res.status === 401) {
    console.error("Token invalid or expired - re-auth in PressKey");
    return;
  }

  const data = await res.json();
  console.log("Active roles:", JSON.stringify(data.roles, null, 2));
}

checkAuth();

​
What’s Next

Contract Registry

All deployed addresses with copy-paste TypeScript constants.

Bridge API Reference

Full GET and POST route documentation with request/response shapes.

Capsule Standard

The full JSON schema from the Rust API including evidence, contributors, and revision lineage.

PressKey Integration

Nonce challenge flow, event matrix, and WordPress security model.