> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.cosmos.network/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Chain Quickstart

> Start a chain, submit a transaction, and query the result in minutes

Building on Cosmos is simple: you can start a chain with a [single command](#start-the-chain). This quickstart gets you from zero to a running chain, a submitted transaction, and a queried result in minutes.

`exampled` is a simple Cosmos SDK chain that shows the core pieces of a working app chain. It includes the basic building-block modules for accounts, bank, staking, distribution, slashing, governance, and more, plus a custom `x/counter` module. In the next tutorials, you'll build a simple version of that module yourself and then walk through the full implementation.

<Note>
  Before continuing, make sure you have completed the [Prerequisites](/sdk/latest/tutorials/example/01-prerequisites) to get your environment set up.
</Note>

## Install the binary

Run the following to compile the `exampled` binary and place it on your `$PATH`.

```bash theme={"theme":{"light":"github-light-high-contrast","dark":"github-dark-high-contrast"}}
make install
```

Verify the install by running:

```bash theme={"theme":{"light":"github-light-high-contrast","dark":"github-dark-high-contrast"}}
exampled version
```

You can also run the following to see all available node CLI commands:

```bash theme={"theme":{"light":"github-light-high-contrast","dark":"github-dark-high-contrast"}}
exampled
```

## Start the chain

Run the following to start a single-node local chain. It handles all setup automatically: initializes the chain data, creates test accounts, and starts the node. Leave it running in this terminal.

```bash theme={"theme":{"light":"github-light-high-contrast","dark":"github-dark-high-contrast"}}
make start
```

## Query the counter

Open a second terminal and query the current count:

```bash theme={"theme":{"light":"github-light-high-contrast","dark":"github-dark-high-contrast"}}
exampled query counter count
```

You should see the following output, which means the counter is starting at `0`:

```text theme={"theme":{"light":"github-light-high-contrast","dark":"github-dark-high-contrast"}}
{}
```

You can also query the module parameters:

```bash theme={"theme":{"light":"github-light-high-contrast","dark":"github-dark-high-contrast"}}
exampled query counter params
```

This shows that the fee to increment the counter is stored as a module parameter. The base coin denomination for the `exampled` chain is `stake`.

```yaml theme={"theme":{"light":"github-light-high-contrast","dark":"github-dark-high-contrast"}}
params:
  add_cost:
    - amount: "100"
      denom: stake
  max_add_value: "100"
```

## Submit an add transaction

Send an `Add` transaction to increment the counter. This charges a fee from the funded `alice` account you are sending the transaction from:

```bash theme={"theme":{"light":"github-light-high-contrast","dark":"github-dark-high-contrast"}}
exampled tx counter add 5 --from alice --chain-id demo --yes
```

## Query the counter again

After submitting the transaction, query the counter again to see the updated module state:

```bash theme={"theme":{"light":"github-light-high-contrast","dark":"github-dark-high-contrast"}}
exampled query counter count
```

You should see the following:

```
count: "5"
```

Congratulations! You just ran a blockchain, submitted a transaction, and queried module state.

## Next steps

In the following tutorials, you will:

1. Build a minimal version of this module from scratch to understand the core pattern
2. Walk through the full `x/counter` module example to see what it adds
3. See how modules are wired into a chain and how to run the full test suite

Next: [Build a Module from Scratch →](/sdk/latest/tutorials/example/03-build-a-module)