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Parallel Documentation — this page, as markdown.
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# The Parallel CLI

`parallel` brings the whole protocol to your terminal: live data, mint and redeem, savings, bridge, staking, governance and x402 payments — human-readable tables for you, clean JSON for your scripts.

Where the [MCP server](/agents/mcp) never signs, the CLI is the layer that can. Hand it a wallet and it signs and broadcasts; without one it never touches a key — transaction commands only run as dry-runs that print the unsigned transaction.

## 1. Install

```bash
npm install -g @parallel-protocol/cli

# or run without installing
npx @parallel-protocol/cli protocol overview
```

Requires Node.js ≥ 22.

## 2. Read the protocol — no wallet, no config

```bash
parallel protocol overview      # TVL, USDp supply, savings APY, solvency ratio
parallel protocol tvl --chain base
parallel savings rate           # protocol-wide sUSDp APY (~12% at the time of writing)
```

Optionally, set your defaults once — `parallel config init` walks you through it and writes `~/.parallel/config.toml`.

## 3. Script it

JSON output is automatic whenever stdout is not a terminal, so the CLI pipes straight into `jq`:

```bash
parallel savings rate | jq '.data.currentAPY'
# 0.1204…
```

Force it anywhere with `--json` (or `PARALLEL_JSON=true`). Every command uses the same envelope:

```json
{ "success": true, "data": { ... } }
{ "success": false, "error": { "code": "MISSING_OPTION", "message": "..." } }
```

Success envelopes print to stdout; error envelopes print to stderr, so stdout stays clean for pipes. Failures set exit code 1 — safe to chain in CI and cron jobs.

## The wallet model

The CLI never looks for a key unless you pass `--wallet`. Without it, nothing signs: add `--dry-run` to any transaction command and it prints the full unsigned transaction (add `--address <addr>` to simulate for a real account instead of the zero address); with neither `--wallet` nor `--dry-run`, the command refuses with `WALLET_REQUIRED`.

| You run | What happens |
|---|---|
| `parallel swap mint … --dry-run` | Builds and prints the unsigned transaction. No key involved |
| `parallel swap mint … --wallet env` | Signs with `$PARALLEL_PRIVATE_KEY` and broadcasts |
| `parallel swap mint … --wallet ~/.parallel/keystore.json` | Prompts for the keystore password, signs and broadcasts |
| `parallel swap mint … --wallet` | Auto-resolves: keystore path from config first, then `$PARALLEL_PRIVATE_KEY` |

Keystores use the standard encrypted V3 format. Create one from any private key with Foundry:

```bash
cast wallet import parallel-cli --keystore-dir ~/.parallel --interactive
# paste the private key, choose a password → writes ~/.parallel/parallel-cli
parallel config set wallet.keystore_path ~/.parallel/parallel-cli
```

:::warning
Use a dedicated wallet with limited funds — never your main wallet. With `--wallet`, transactions broadcast **immediately** after signing (or after the password prompt): there is no extra confirmation step. Preview any command first by swapping `--wallet` for `--dry-run`.
:::

## Next steps

* [Command reference](/agents/cli/commands) — every command, grouped by what you're doing
* [Pay APIs with x402](/agents/x402/agent-quickstart) — the CLI's `pay prepare` is the engine behind agent payments
* [MCP server](/agents/mcp) — the same protocol surface for AI assistants, signing-free