diff --git a/client-cmds/nlean-cmd.sh b/client-cmds/nlean-cmd.sh
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..2f7fe0a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/client-cmds/nlean-cmd.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,123 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+
+#-----------------------nlean setup----------------------
+# This script follows lean-quickstart's client-cmd contract:
+# it must populate node_binary / node_docker / node_setup.
+# NLEAN_REPO should point to this repository when lean-quickstart is outside this workspace.
+# Default assumes sibling checkouts: <workspace>/nlean and <workspace>/lean-quickstart.
+nlean_repo="${NLEAN_REPO:-$scriptDir/../nlean}"
+nlean_docker_image="${NLEAN_DOCKER_IMAGE:-nlean-local:devnet3}"
+nlean_network_name="${NLEAN_NETWORK_NAME:-devnet0}"
+log_level="${NLEAN_LOG_LEVEL:-}"
+enable_metrics="${enableMetrics:-false}"
+
+enable_metrics=$(echo "$enable_metrics" | tr '[:upper:]' '[:lower:]')
+if [[ "$enable_metrics" != "true" && "$enable_metrics" != "false" ]]; then
+  enable_metrics="false"
+fi
+
+if [[ -z "${nlean_network_name// }" ]]; then
+  nlean_network_name="devnet0"
+fi
+
+log_level="${log_level#${log_level%%[![:space:]]*}}"
+log_level="${log_level%${log_level##*[![:space:]]}}"
+log_level_arg=""
+if [[ -n "$log_level" ]]; then
+  log_level_arg="--log ${log_level}"
+fi
+
+node_private_key_path="${privKeyPath:-${item}.key}"
+
+# Set aggregator flag based on isAggregator value (from parse-vc.sh)
+aggregator_flag=""
+if [[ "${isAggregator:-false}" == "true" ]]; then
+  aggregator_flag="--is-aggregator"
+fi
+
+# Set attestation committee count flag if explicitly configured
+attestation_committee_flag=""
+if [[ -n "${attestationCommitteeCount:-}" ]]; then
+  attestation_committee_flag="--attestation-committee-count $attestationCommitteeCount"
+fi
+
+# Set checkpoint sync URL when restarting with checkpoint sync
+checkpoint_sync_flag=""
+if [[ -n "${checkpoint_sync_url:-}" ]]; then
+  checkpoint_sync_flag="--checkpoint-sync-url $checkpoint_sync_url"
+fi
+
+# Set API port flag if explicitly configured
+api_port_flag=""
+nlean_api_port="${NLEAN_API_PORT:-${apiPort:-}}"
+if [[ -n "$nlean_api_port" ]]; then
+  api_port_flag="--api-port $nlean_api_port"
+fi
+
+# Resolve the binary path
+binary_path="$nlean_repo/artifacts/lean-client/Lean.Client"
+
+mkdir -p "$dataDir/$item"
+
+node_binary="$binary_path \
+      --validator-config $configDir/validator-config.yaml \
+      --node $item \
+      --data-dir $dataDir/$item \
+      --network $nlean_network_name \
+      --node-key $configDir/$node_private_key_path \
+      --socket-port $quicPort \
+      --metrics $enable_metrics \
+      --metrics-port $metricsPort \
+      --metrics-address 0.0.0.0 \
+      --hash-sig-key-dir $configDir/hash-sig-keys \
+      $api_port_flag \
+      $attestation_committee_flag \
+      $aggregator_flag \
+      $checkpoint_sync_flag \
+      $log_level_arg"
+
+nlean_docker_extra_env=""
+if [[ -n "${NLEAN_DEBUG_DUMP_ATTESTATIONS:-}" ]]; then
+  nlean_docker_extra_env+=" -e NLEAN_DEBUG_DUMP_ATTESTATIONS=$NLEAN_DEBUG_DUMP_ATTESTATIONS"
+fi
+if [[ -n "${NLEAN_DEBUG_DUMP_DIR:-}" ]]; then
+  nlean_docker_extra_env+=" -e NLEAN_DEBUG_DUMP_DIR=$NLEAN_DEBUG_DUMP_DIR"
+fi
+if [[ -n "${NLEAN_DEBUG_DUMP_BLOCKS:-}" ]]; then
+  nlean_docker_extra_env+=" -e NLEAN_DEBUG_DUMP_BLOCKS=$NLEAN_DEBUG_DUMP_BLOCKS"
+fi
+if [[ -n "${NLEAN_DEBUG_DUMP_BLOCK_DIR:-}" ]]; then
+  nlean_docker_extra_env+=" -e NLEAN_DEBUG_DUMP_BLOCK_DIR=$NLEAN_DEBUG_DUMP_BLOCK_DIR"
+fi
+if [[ -n "${NLEAN_DEBUG_DUMP_OBSERVED_PROOFS:-}" ]]; then
+  nlean_docker_extra_env+=" -e NLEAN_DEBUG_DUMP_OBSERVED_PROOFS=$NLEAN_DEBUG_DUMP_OBSERVED_PROOFS"
+fi
+if [[ -n "${NLEAN_DEBUG_DUMP_OBSERVED_PROOFS_DIR:-}" ]]; then
+  nlean_docker_extra_env+=" -e NLEAN_DEBUG_DUMP_OBSERVED_PROOFS_DIR=$NLEAN_DEBUG_DUMP_OBSERVED_PROOFS_DIR"
+fi
+if [[ -n "${NLEAN_DEBUG_DUMP_OBSERVED_BLOCKS:-}" ]]; then
+  nlean_docker_extra_env+=" -e NLEAN_DEBUG_DUMP_OBSERVED_BLOCKS=$NLEAN_DEBUG_DUMP_OBSERVED_BLOCKS"
+fi
+if [[ -n "${NLEAN_DEBUG_DUMP_OBSERVED_BLOCKS_DIR:-}" ]]; then
+  nlean_docker_extra_env+=" -e NLEAN_DEBUG_DUMP_OBSERVED_BLOCKS_DIR=$NLEAN_DEBUG_DUMP_OBSERVED_BLOCKS_DIR"
+fi
+
+node_docker="${nlean_docker_extra_env} ${nlean_docker_image} \
+      --validator-config /config/validator-config.yaml \
+      --node $item \
+      --data-dir /data \
+      --network $nlean_network_name \
+      --node-key /config/$node_private_key_path \
+      --socket-port $quicPort \
+      --metrics $enable_metrics \
+      --metrics-port $metricsPort \
+      --metrics-address 0.0.0.0 \
+      --hash-sig-key-dir /config/hash-sig-keys \
+      $api_port_flag \
+      $attestation_committee_flag \
+      $aggregator_flag \
+      $checkpoint_sync_flag \
+      $log_level_arg"
+
+# choose either binary or docker
+node_setup="${NLEAN_QUICKSTART_SETUP:-docker}"
diff --git a/local-devnet-nlean/genesis/validator-config.yaml b/local-devnet-nlean/genesis/validator-config.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..eada187
--- /dev/null
+++ b/local-devnet-nlean/genesis/validator-config.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,44 @@
+# Quickstart validator template used by nlean interop scripts.
+# Keep node names and ports aligned with the target interop topology.
+shuffle: roundrobin
+deployment_mode: local
+config:
+  activeEpoch: 18
+  keyType: "hash-sig"
+validators:
+  - name: "nlean_0"
+    privkey: "2e9be3f1b0d32ca3a4d62017fbfafe3950b7e90fed6802ff8bd2e0f8c4e2ca91"
+    enrFields:
+      ip: "127.0.0.1"
+      quic: 9101
+    metricsPort: 18081
+    apiPort: 5052
+    count: 1
+    isAggregator: false
+  - name: "nlean_1"
+    privkey: "bdf953adc161873ba026330c56450453f582e3c4ee6cb713644794bcfdd85fe5"
+    enrFields:
+      ip: "127.0.0.1"
+      quic: 9102
+    metricsPort: 18082
+    apiPort: 5053
+    count: 1
+    isAggregator: true
+  - name: "nlean_2"
+    privkey: "299550529a79bc2dce003747c52fb0639465c893e00b0440ac66144d625e066a"
+    enrFields:
+      ip: "127.0.0.1"
+      quic: 9103
+    metricsPort: 18083
+    apiPort: 5054
+    count: 1
+    isAggregator: false
+  - name: "nlean_3"
+    privkey: "c4f5a6b7d8e9012345abcdef6789012345abcdef6789012345abcdef67890123"
+    enrFields:
+      ip: "127.0.0.1"
+      quic: 9104
+    metricsPort: 18084
+    apiPort: 5055
+    count: 1
+    isAggregator: false