Install

You can run Kite from source with Bun, or as a Docker image. Either way you need a Postgres database.

Requirements

• Bun 1.4 or newer, if you run from source
• PostgreSQL (Kite is tested against Postgres 18)
• A public URL for the server, so providers can tell it about deposits (http://localhost:3000 is fine while you try it)
• A wallet mnemonic for the operator
• Keys for a deposit notifier and a gas sponsor; every chain needs both

From source

1. Get the code

   git clone https://github.com/Kite-01/server kite
   cd kite
   bun install
   bun install --cwd client

2. Start Postgres, if you don’t have one. This matches the example configuration:

   docker run -d --name kite-db -p 54320:5432 \
     -e POSTGRES_PASSWORD=postgres -e POSTGRES_DB=kite postgres:18

3. Configure it. Copy the example and fill it in; Configuration explains every variable.

   cp .env.example .env

   At minimum, replace KITE_ENCRYPTION_KEY, KITE_OPERATOR_MNEMONIC and KITE_ROOT_KEY with your own values.

4. Create the tables

   bun run migrate

5. Run it

   Development

   sh bun run dev The API and dashboard reload as you change the code.

   Production

   sh bun run build bun run start build typechecks and builds the dashboard into client/dist, which the server serves.

6. Open the dashboard at the URL it prints, usually http://localhost:3000, and sign in with your root key. Then follow First run.

Caution

Use bun run migrate, not bun run db:migrate. Besides applying the migrations, migrate runs the data upgrades some releases need.

With Docker

The repository’s Dockerfile builds the dashboard and the server into one image. It runs migrations every time it starts.

docker build -t kite-server .
docker run -d --name kite -p 3000:3000 --env-file .env kite-server

From inside a container, localhost is the container itself: point KITE_PG_DB_URL at your database’s real host, or run both on one Docker network.

Check it’s up

curl -s http://localhost:3000/api/overview/info -H "x-kite-root-key: $KITE_ROOT_KEY"

{
  "version": "1.0.0",
  "operators": [{ "chainType": "Evm", "address": "0x…" }],
  "chains": []
}

The operator address is the wallet that will send settlement and refund transactions. Each chain’s gas sponsor pays their gas. It’s also the address your Kite factory must be deployed with as operator.