diff --git a/bindings/node/package.json b/bindings/node/package.json
index bdd59ee6..6b1978cc 100644
--- a/bindings/node/package.json
+++ b/bindings/node/package.json
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@
     "artifacts": "napi artifacts",
     "build": "napi build --platform --release",
     "build:debug": "napi build --platform",
+    "postinstall": "node scripts/postinstall.js",
     "prepublishOnly": "napi build --platform --release",
     "publish:all": "node publish.mjs",
     "test": "node --test __test__/index.spec.mjs"
@@ -41,6 +42,7 @@
     "index.js",
     "index.d.ts",
     "bin/ows",
+    "scripts/postinstall.js",
     "README.md"
   ]
 }
diff --git a/bindings/node/scripts/postinstall.js b/bindings/node/scripts/postinstall.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..abaf8ab2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/bindings/node/scripts/postinstall.js
@@ -0,0 +1,302 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env node
+
+/**
+ * Post-install onboarding for @open-wallet-standard/core
+ *
+ * Runs after `npm install -g @open-wallet-standard/core` and walks the user
+ * through optional first-time setup:
+ *   1. Install the OWS skill for AI coding agents
+ *   2. Create their first wallet
+ *   3. Fund it with USDC via MoonPay
+ *
+ * Safety rules:
+ *   - Only runs on global installs (skips `npm install` / `npm ci`)
+ *   - Only runs in interactive terminals (silent in CI / piped stdin)
+ *   - Only runs once per $HOME (persists marker at ~/.ows/.onboarding-done)
+ *   - Entire main() is wrapped in .catch(() => {}) — never breaks installation
+ *   - Zero external dependencies — Node.js built-ins only
+ */
+
+const { createInterface } = require("readline");
+const { execFileSync, spawn } = require("child_process");
+const { existsSync, mkdirSync, writeFileSync } = require("fs");
+const { join } = require("path");
+
+// ── ANSI helpers ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+
+const BOLD = "\x1b[1m";
+const DIM = "\x1b[2m";
+const GREEN = "\x1b[32m";
+const YELLOW = "\x1b[33m";
+const CYAN = "\x1b[36m";
+const RESET = "\x1b[0m";
+
+const write = (msg) => process.stderr.write(msg);
+const writeln = (msg = "") => process.stderr.write(msg + "\n");
+
+// ── Helpers ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+
+function prompt(question) {
+  return new Promise((resolve) => {
+    let resolved = false;
+    const done = (value) => {
+      if (resolved) return;
+      resolved = true;
+      resolve(value);
+    };
+    const rl = createInterface({
+      input: process.stdin,
+      output: process.stderr,
+    });
+    rl.question(question, (answer) => {
+      done(answer.trim());
+      rl.close();
+    });
+    rl.on("close", () => done(""));
+  });
+}
+
+function promptYesNo(question) {
+  return prompt(`${question} ${DIM}[Y/n]${RESET} `).then(
+    (a) => a === "" || /^y(es)?$/i.test(a)
+  );
+}
+
+function run(cmd, args) {
+  return new Promise((resolve, reject) => {
+    const child = spawn(cmd, args, {
+      stdio: "inherit",
+      shell: process.platform === "win32",
+    });
+    child.on("close", (code) =>
+      code === 0
+        ? resolve()
+        : reject(new Error(`${cmd} exited with code ${code}`))
+    );
+    child.on("error", reject);
+  });
+}
+
+/**
+ * Resolve the ows binary path. Checks in order:
+ *   1. Platform-specific optional dependency (node_modules)
+ *   2. Local npm/ directory (monorepo / dev builds)
+ *   3. $PATH (already-installed global binary)
+ */
+function owsBinPath() {
+  const PLATFORM_MAP = {
+    "darwin-arm64": "@open-wallet-standard/core-darwin-arm64",
+    "darwin-x64": "@open-wallet-standard/core-darwin-x64",
+    "linux-x64": "@open-wallet-standard/core-linux-x64-gnu",
+    "linux-arm64": "@open-wallet-standard/core-linux-arm64-gnu",
+  };
+
+  const key = `${process.platform}-${process.arch}`;
+  const pkg = PLATFORM_MAP[key];
+
+  if (pkg) {
+    // 1. node_modules resolve
+    try {
+      const pkgDir = require.resolve(`${pkg}/package.json`);
+      const p = join(pkgDir, "..", "ows");
+      if (existsSync(p)) return p;
+    } catch {}
+
+    // 2. local npm/ directory (monorepo / dev)
+    const local = join(__dirname, "..", "npm", pkg.split("/").pop(), "ows");
+    if (existsSync(local)) return local;
+  }
+
+  // 3. Fall back to ows on $PATH (global install already linked)
+  try {
+    execFileSync("ows", ["--version"], {
+      stdio: "ignore",
+      shell: process.platform === "win32",
+    });
+    return "ows";
+  } catch {}
+
+  return null;
+}
+
+function hasNpx() {
+  try {
+    execFileSync("npx", ["--version"], {
+      stdio: "ignore",
+      shell: process.platform === "win32",
+    });
+    return true;
+  } catch {
+    return false;
+  }
+}
+
+function skillInstalled() {
+  const home = process.env.HOME || process.env.USERPROFILE || "";
+  const dirs = [
+    join(home, ".claude", "skills", "ows"),
+    join(home, ".claude", "skills", "core"),
+    join(home, ".claude", "skills", "open-wallet-standard--core"),
+  ];
+  return dirs.some((d) => existsSync(d));
+}
+
+function onboardingDone() {
+  const home = process.env.HOME || process.env.USERPROFILE || "";
+  return existsSync(join(home, ".ows", ".onboarding-done"));
+}
+
+function markOnboardingDone() {
+  const home = process.env.HOME || process.env.USERPROFILE || "";
+  const dir = join(home, ".ows");
+  if (!existsSync(dir)) mkdirSync(dir, { recursive: true });
+  writeFileSync(join(dir, ".onboarding-done"), "", "utf8");
+}
+
+// ── Main ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+
+async function main() {
+  // Only run on global installs
+  if (process.env.npm_config_global !== "true") return;
+
+  // Only run in interactive terminals — stay silent in CI / piped stdin
+  if (!process.stdin.isTTY) return;
+
+  // Only run once — skip if the user already completed onboarding
+  if (onboardingDone()) return;
+
+  // Mark onboarding as shown so upgrades won't re-prompt
+  markOnboardingDone();
+
+  writeln();
+  writeln(`${GREEN}${BOLD}✦ Open Wallet Standard CLI installed!${RESET}`);
+  writeln(
+    `${DIM}  Universal wallet for 10+ chains — one seed, all addresses.${RESET}`
+  );
+  writeln();
+
+  // ── Step 1: Install the OWS skill for AI coding agents ──────────────────
+
+  if (!skillInstalled() && hasNpx()) {
+    const installSkill = await promptYesNo(
+      `${CYAN}Install the OWS skill for your AI coding agent?${RESET}`
+    );
+
+    if (installSkill) {
+      writeln();
+      writeln(`${DIM}Installing skill...${RESET}`);
+      try {
+        await run("npx", [
+          "-y",
+          "skills",
+          "add",
+          "https://github.com/open-wallet-standard/core",
+          "--skill",
+          "ows",
+        ]);
+        writeln(`${GREEN}Skill installed.${RESET}`);
+      } catch {
+        writeln(
+          `${YELLOW}Skill installation failed. You can install it later:${RESET}`
+        );
+        writeln(
+          `  npx skills add https://github.com/open-wallet-standard/core --skill ows`
+        );
+      }
+      writeln();
+    } else {
+      writeln(
+        `${DIM}  Skipped. Install later: npx skills add https://github.com/open-wallet-standard/core --skill ows${RESET}`
+      );
+      writeln();
+    }
+  }
+
+  // ── Step 2: Create first wallet ─────────────────────────────────────────
+
+  const bin = owsBinPath();
+  if (!bin) {
+    writeln(
+      `${DIM}Could not locate ows binary for this platform — skip wallet setup.${RESET}`
+    );
+    writeln(
+      `${DIM}Run 'ows wallet create --name my-wallet' manually after install completes.${RESET}`
+    );
+    writeln();
+    return;
+  }
+
+  const createWallet = await promptYesNo(
+    `${CYAN}Create your first wallet?${RESET}`
+  );
+
+  if (!createWallet) {
+    writeln(
+      `${DIM}  Skipped. Create one anytime: ows wallet create --name my-wallet${RESET}`
+    );
+    writeln();
+    return;
+  }
+
+  const walletName =
+    (await prompt(`${CYAN}Wallet name ${DIM}[my-wallet]${RESET}: `)) ||
+    "my-wallet";
+
+  writeln();
+  writeln(`${DIM}Creating wallet "${walletName}"...${RESET}`);
+
+  try {
+    await run(bin, ["wallet", "create", "--name", walletName]);
+    writeln();
+    writeln(`${GREEN}${BOLD}Wallet "${walletName}" created!${RESET}`);
+  } catch {
+    writeln(`${YELLOW}Wallet creation failed. Try manually:${RESET}`);
+    writeln(`  ows wallet create --name ${walletName}`);
+    writeln();
+    return;
+  }
+
+  // ── Step 3: Fund the wallet ─────────────────────────────────────────────
+
+  writeln();
+  const fundWallet = await promptYesNo(
+    `${CYAN}Fund your wallet with USDC via MoonPay?${RESET}`
+  );
+
+  if (!fundWallet) {
+    writeln(
+      `${DIM}  Skipped. Fund anytime: ows fund deposit --wallet ${walletName}${RESET}`
+    );
+    writeln();
+    return;
+  }
+
+  writeln();
+  writeln(
+    `${DIM}Opening MoonPay deposit for "${walletName}" (Base USDC)...${RESET}`
+  );
+
+  try {
+    await run(bin, [
+      "fund",
+      "deposit",
+      "--wallet",
+      walletName,
+      "--chain",
+      "base",
+      "--token",
+      "USDC",
+    ]);
+    writeln();
+    writeln(`${GREEN}Deposit created! Follow the MoonPay instructions above.${RESET}`);
+  } catch {
+    writeln(`${YELLOW}Deposit failed. Try manually:${RESET}`);
+    writeln(`  ows fund deposit --wallet ${walletName} --chain base --token USDC`);
+  }
+
+  writeln();
+  writeln(`${BOLD}You're all set! Run ${CYAN}ows --help${RESET}${BOLD} to explore.${RESET}`);
+  writeln();
+}
+
+main().catch(() => {});