Firefly is a free, open-source command-line tool for developers who build applications on Hyperledger FireFly. Its main job is to create and manage a local FireFly stack, so you can start coding on your own machine instead of first setting up shared infrastructure. The project is written in Go and is distributed for Windows, macOS, Linux and Docker.
This page covers Firefly for Windows: where to get the file, how to run it through Windows Subsystem for Linux 2, how to check the download, and how it compares with other tools in Web3 development. The latest version is v1.5.0-rc.3, a release candidate, and the source code was last updated on August 3, 2026, so the code is recent. Read on for the details before you install anything.
What Is a Local Blockchain Development Stack?
A blockchain application rarely lives in one program. Behind a typical front end there are nodes, storage, messaging layers and services that connect the code to a network. Setting all of that up by hand can take longer than writing the first feature, which is why many teams prefer a prepared environment they can run on their own machine.
A local stack gives you that environment without the shared infrastructure. You start the components on your computer, point your code at them, and reset everything when an experiment goes wrong. The benefit is speed and isolation: you can try an idea, break it, and try again without affecting a team's shared setup or waiting for approval.
The trade-off is that a local setup is not production. It helps you learn how the pieces fit together and catches obvious design mistakes early. Real deployments still need proper configuration, monitoring and review.
Who Firefly Is For and When It Helps
Firefly suits developers who already know some programming and want to build blockchain-backed apps without assembling infrastructure first. A typical user is a backend or full-stack developer testing how an application will interact with a FireFly stack. Small teams can also agree on a setup and run it the same way on their own machines.
Here is a realistic scenario. You want to prototype a workflow where users submit records and receive confirmations. Instead of waiting for a shared environment, you run a local stack, write the integration code, and iterate for an afternoon. When the design is stable, you move the same logic to a hosted environment.
Workshop instructors may also find it useful, because every participant can run an identical setup. It is less suited to people who want a ready-made application with a graphical interface, since Firefly is a command-line tool aimed at developers.
Key features
Local stack creation
Offline development
Cross-platform distribution
How to install Firefly on Windows
- 1
Enable WSL2
Set up Windows Subsystem for Linux 2 using the standard Microsoft instructions, and choose a Linux distribution you are comfortable working with. Once it runs, you have a Linux terminal inside Windows where Firefly can operate.
- 2
Download the release
Get the latest release from the GitHub Releases page for the hyperledger-firefly/cli project, or from the official website. Choose the Linux build, since that is the binary that runs inside WSL2. Avoid copies from third-party download sites.
- 3
Verify the file
Compare the SHA-256 checksum of your download with the value published alongside the release. If a signature is offered, verify that as well. If the values do not match, delete the file and download it again from the official source.
-
Run inside WSL2
Move the binary into your Linux environment, mark it as executable, and run it from the WSL terminal. Keep the file in a folder you control so you know which version you are using. Then follow the project documentation to create your first local stack.
System requirements
- Windows with Windows Subsystem for Linux 2 (WSL2), which the project recommends for Windows users
How to use Firefly
Once the program is installed inside WSL2, the workflow is short. Work through the steps in order the first time, then reuse the same stack for later experiments.
- Open your WSL2 terminal and confirm the Firefly binary starts.
- Read the project documentation in the GitHub repository to find the commands for creating a local stack.
- Create a local FireFly stack and wait for its services to start.
- Connect your application code to the local endpoints the stack exposes.
- Test a simple flow, such as sending a transaction or publishing a message, and check the result.
- Stop the stack when you finish, and recreate it when you need a clean state.
- Repeat the cycle as you change your app, and keep short notes on what you changed each time.
Because the stack is local, mistakes stay on your machine, which is the main reason many developers start here before moving to a shared environment. Keep each test small so you can tell which change caused a problem.
Pros & cons
- Free and open source, with source code on GitHub
- Creates a local stack so you can start development without shared infrastructure
- Works offline for day-to-day development once the stack is set up
- Linux binaries run on Windows through WSL2
- Recent code update and a clearly labeled latest release
- The latest release is a release candidate (v1.5.0-rc.3)
- Windows users are pointed to WSL2, which adds setup work
- Command-line only, so it is less friendly for beginners
- A local stack does not replace production infrastructure
Is Firefly safe?
Firefly is a development tool rather than a wallet, but it still runs code on your computer, so treat the download with care. Get the program only from the official sources: the GitHub Releases page for the hyperledger-firefly/cli project, or the official website. Do not use copies from file-sharing sites or unknown mirrors.
After downloading, compare the SHA-256 checksum with the value published with the release, or verify the signature if one is offered. If the values do not match, delete the file. Check the latest version on the official website before a long project, since the current release is a release candidate. Never enter a seed phrase or private key on a third-party website while working with blockchain tools.
- Official source only. Download from github.com/hyperledger-firefly/cli. Ignore ads and lookalike domains.
- Check the SHA-256. Compare the installer hash with the value the developer publishes before running it.
- Never share your seed phrase. No developer, support agent or website — including CryptApps — will ever ask for it.
Alternatives
Firefly sits in a different place from most tools on this list. Remix Desktop is an IDE for writing and compiling Solidity, Visual Studio Code with Solidity extensions is a general editor you configure yourself, and Foundry is a toolkit for building and testing smart contracts through forge, cast and anvil. Tenderly focuses on debugging and monitoring contracts, while Alchemy, Infura and QuickNode are hosted RPC providers that give remote network access without running anything locally.
Firefly is narrower. Its purpose is to create and manage a local Hyperledger FireFly stack for building applications that interact with blockchain networks. If you need contract-level testing, look at Foundry. If you need hosted endpoints, look at the RPC providers. Firefly fits when the stack itself is the thing you need to run.
Specifications
- Price
- Free
- Type
- Open source
- License
- —
- Latest version
- v1.5.0-rc.3
- Last update
- 3 Aug 2026
- Windows support
- Yes (Windows build or installer)
- Source code
- github.com/hyperledger-firefly/cli
Frequently asked questions
Yes. Firefly is free and open source, and its source code is published on GitHub. There is no price tag on the program itself, so the main cost is the time you spend learning the tool and the stack it creates. Check the repository for the license terms before reusing code in your own projects.
Not directly in the way a typical Windows app does. The project recommends Windows Subsystem for Linux 2, and its Linux binaries work inside that environment. Install WSL2, download the Linux build, and run Firefly from the WSL terminal. The setup is a one-time task, and afterward the workflow matches the Linux experience.
It is safe when you take the usual precautions. Download the file from the GitHub Releases page, verify the SHA-256 checksum or signature, and avoid copies from unknown sites. Because the latest version is a release candidate, expect rougher edges than you would find in a stable release.
A FireFly stack is the set of components that a Hyperledger FireFly application needs to run, prepared as one environment. Firefly creates it on your machine so you can develop against it. This removes the need to configure each service by hand before you write application code.
Yes, that is one of its main purposes. The local stack lets you iterate on blockchain apps without shared infrastructure. You still need the tools installed on your machine, and any step that touches a live network will require a connection.
Foundry is a toolkit for writing, testing and deploying smart contracts, with forge, cast and anvil as its main commands. Firefly focuses on creating and managing a local Hyperledger FireFly stack for application development. Many developers may use both, one for contract work and the other for the application environment.
The source code was last updated on August 3, 2026, and the latest version is v1.5.0-rc.3. That suggests active work on the project, though a release candidate is not the same as a stable release. Review the GitHub repository for newer tags before starting a long project.
Verdict
Firefly for Windows suits developers who want a local FireFly stack without a long setup. It is free, open source and recently updated, but its latest release is a release candidate and the Windows route runs through WSL2. That makes it best for people comfortable with a Linux terminal who want to iterate on blockchain applications on their own machine.