diff --git a/ffi/python/.gitignore b/ffi/python/.gitignore
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..c78b829
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ffi/python/.gitignore
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+# Build outputs — regenerated by ffi/scripts/build.sh
+ant_ffi/ant_ffi.py
+ant_ffi/*.dylib
+ant_ffi/*.so
+ant_ffi/*.dll
+
+# Python build/packaging artifacts
+build/
+dist/
+wheelhouse/
+*.egg-info/
+__pycache__/
+*.pyc
diff --git a/ffi/python/README.md b/ffi/python/README.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..bb0a50e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ffi/python/README.md
@@ -0,0 +1,79 @@
+# Autonomi FFI — Python bindings
+
+Direct-network, **daemon-less** Autonomi client for Python, generated by
+[UniFFI](https://mozilla.github.io/uniffi-rs/) from the `ant-ffi` Rust crate —
+the same compiled library that backs the Swift and Kotlin mobile SDKs. Unlike
+[`antd`](../../antd-py) (which talks to a running antd daemon over REST/gRPC),
+this embeds the network client in-process, exactly like the mobile bindings.
+
+Async `Client` methods are real `async def` — they run on Rust's tokio runtime
+and bridge to asyncio, so `await client.data_put_public(...)` works from plain
+asyncio with no extra event-loop setup.
+
+> **Package name.** `ant-ffi` is a **placeholder-but-permanent** working title.
+> The product-level names (`autonomi`, `autonomi-client`) are already taken on
+> PyPI; `ant-ffi` matches the Rust crate and the AntFfi artifact family and is
+> free. The intent is to move to a product-named package under a dedicated org
+> later. Track: V2-880.
+
+## Layout
+
+```
+python/
+├── ant_ffi/
+│   ├── __init__.py         # re-exports the generated surface
+│   ├── ant_ffi.py          # generated by uniffi-bindgen (do not edit)
+│   └── libant_ffi.dylib    # bundled native lib (per-platform; not committed)
+├── examples/
+│   └── upload_download_demo.py
+├── tests/
+│   └── test_smoke.py       # offline: import + version + address derivation
+├── pyproject.toml
+└── README.md
+```
+
+The generated `ant_ffi.py` and the bundled native library are build outputs —
+regenerate them with `ffi/scripts/build.sh` (which now includes a Python step).
+
+## Build the bindings
+
+```bash
+cd ffi/rust && cargo build --release -p ant-ffi
+./target/release/uniffi-bindgen generate \
+    --library target/release/libant_ffi.dylib \
+    --language python --out-dir ../python/ant_ffi/
+cp target/release/libant_ffi.dylib ../python/ant_ffi/   # or .so / .dll
+```
+
+(`ffi/scripts/build.sh` does all of the above alongside the C#/Kotlin/Swift steps.)
+
+## Smoke test (offline, no network)
+
+```bash
+cd ffi/python && python3 tests/test_smoke.py
+```
+
+## Upload/download demo (needs a devnet)
+
+Start a local devnet (writes `~/.ant-dev/devnet-manifest.json`):
+
+```bash
+cd ant-node && cargo run --release --bin ant-devnet -- \
+    --preset small --enable-evm --manifest ~/.ant-dev/devnet-manifest.json
+```
+
+Then run the round-trip demo — connect from the manifest, upload a file (the
+manifest wallet pays inside ant-core), download it back, verify byte-identical:
+
+```bash
+cd ffi/python && python3 examples/upload_download_demo.py
+```
+
+## Progress callbacks & threading
+
+`_with_progress` / `download_*_to_file` methods take a `ProgressListener`
+(subclass it, implement `on_progress`). **Callbacks arrive on a Rust/tokio
+worker thread, not the asyncio event loop.** asyncio is not thread-safe, so to
+touch event-loop state from a callback, hop back with
+`loop.call_soon_threadsafe(...)`. Keep callbacks quick — events flow through a
+bounded channel and a slow callback backpressures the transfer.
diff --git a/ffi/python/ant_ffi/__init__.py b/ffi/python/ant_ffi/__init__.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..00fd315
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ffi/python/ant_ffi/__init__.py
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+"""Python bindings for the Autonomi FFI (direct-network, daemon-less client).
+
+Generated by UniFFI from the `ant-ffi` Rust crate; re-exports the full
+generated surface (Client, Wallet, external-signer flow, records/objects).
+The native library (libant_ffi.dylib / .so / ant_ffi.dll) is bundled alongside
+this module and loaded automatically.
+"""
+
+from .ant_ffi import *  # noqa: F401,F403
+from .ant_ffi import ant_ffi_version  # noqa: F401
diff --git a/ffi/python/examples/upload_download_demo.py b/ffi/python/examples/upload_download_demo.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..c470578
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ffi/python/examples/upload_download_demo.py
@@ -0,0 +1,100 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env python3
+"""Devnet upload/download round-trip demo for the Python FFI bindings.
+
+Mirrors the Swift/Kotlin demo's devnet path: connect from the devnet manifest,
+upload a file with the manifest wallet paying inside ant-core (single-shot),
+download it back to disk with live progress, and verify it is byte-identical.
+
+Run against a local devnet started with `ant dev start` (or `ant-devnet`
+writing its manifest to ~/.ant-dev/devnet-manifest.json).
+
+    python3 examples/upload_download_demo.py
+"""
+
+from __future__ import annotations
+
+import asyncio
+import hashlib
+import os
+import sys
+import tempfile
+from pathlib import Path
+
+# Make the sibling package importable when run straight from the repo.
+sys.path.insert(0, str(Path(__file__).resolve().parent.parent))
+
+import ant_ffi
+from ant_ffi import Client, PaymentMode, ProgressListener, ProgressUpdate
+
+MANIFEST = Path.home() / ".ant-dev" / "devnet-manifest.json"
+
+
+class PrintProgress(ProgressListener):
+    """Callback interface impl — invoked from a Rust/tokio worker thread."""
+
+    def __init__(self, what: str) -> None:
+        self._what = what
+        self._last = ""
+
+    def on_progress(self, update: ProgressUpdate) -> None:
+        # phase is an enum; total==0 means indeterminate.
+        phase = getattr(update.phase, "name", str(update.phase))
+        if update.total:
+            line = f"  [{self._what}] {phase}: {update.done}/{update.total}"
+        else:
+            line = f"  [{self._what}] {phase}: {update.done}"
+        if line != self._last:
+            print(line)
+            self._last = line
+
+
+def _sha256(path: Path) -> str:
+    h = hashlib.sha256()
+    h.update(path.read_bytes())
+    return h.hexdigest()
+
+
+async def main() -> int:
+    print(f"ant_ffi version: {ant_ffi.ant_ffi_version()}")
+    if not MANIFEST.exists():
+        print(f"ERROR: no devnet manifest at {MANIFEST}", file=sys.stderr)
+        print("Start a devnet first (ant dev start / ant-devnet).", file=sys.stderr)
+        return 2
+
+    print(f"Connecting from devnet manifest: {MANIFEST}")
+    client = await Client.connect_from_devnet_manifest(str(MANIFEST))
+    print("Connected.")
+
+    workdir = Path(tempfile.mkdtemp(prefix="ant-ffi-demo-"))
+    src = workdir / "hello.txt"
+    payload = b"Hello from the Autonomi Python FFI bindings!\n" * 4096  # ~180 KB
+    src.write_bytes(payload)
+    src_hash = _sha256(src)
+    print(f"\nUploading {src} ({src.stat().st_size} bytes, sha256 {src_hash[:16]}...)")
+
+    up = await client.file_upload_public(str(src), PaymentMode.AUTO)
+    print("Upload complete:")
+    print(f"  address:       {up.address}")
+    print(f"  chunks_stored: {up.chunks_stored}")
+    print(f"  storage_cost:  {up.storage_cost_atto} atto")
+    print(f"  gas_cost:      {up.gas_cost_wei} wei")
+    print(f"  payment_mode:  {getattr(up.payment_mode_used, 'name', up.payment_mode_used)}")
+
+    dest = workdir / "hello.downloaded.txt"
+    print(f"\nDownloading {up.address} -> {dest}")
+    written = await client.download_public_to_file(
+        up.address, str(dest), PrintProgress("download")
+    )
+    print(f"Downloaded {written} bytes.")
+
+    dst_hash = _sha256(dest)
+    ok = dst_hash == src_hash and written == src.stat().st_size
+    print("\nRound-trip verification:")
+    print(f"  source sha256:     {src_hash}")
+    print(f"  downloaded sha256: {dst_hash}")
+    print(f"  RESULT: {'PASS — byte-identical' if ok else 'FAIL — mismatch'}")
+    return 0 if ok else 1
+
+
+if __name__ == "__main__":
+    raise SystemExit(asyncio.run(main()))
diff --git a/ffi/python/pyproject.toml b/ffi/python/pyproject.toml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..6f76b0a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ffi/python/pyproject.toml
@@ -0,0 +1,28 @@
+[build-system]
+requires = ["setuptools>=68"]
+build-backend = "setuptools.build_meta"
+
+[project]
+# NAME IS A PLACEHOLDER-BUT-PERMANENT working title.
+# `autonomi` and `autonomi-client` on PyPI are already taken (the latter is the
+# legacy MaidSafe-era pyo3 binding); `antd` is the daemon SDK. `ant-ffi` matches
+# the Rust crate and the AntFfi artifact family (ant-swift / com.autonomi:ant-android)
+# and is currently free on PyPI. The intent is to move this to a product-named
+# package under a future dedicated org; treat the name as permanent for anything
+# already published, but not as the final destination. See V2-880.
+name = "ant-ffi"
+version = "0.0.8"  # tracks the AntFfi release version (ant-ffi crate / ant_ffi_version())
+description = "Autonomi FFI — direct-network, daemon-less client for Python (UniFFI bindings)"
+readme = "README.md"
+requires-python = ">=3.9"  # floor of the UniFFI 0.29-generated Python
+license = { text = "MIT OR Apache-2.0" }
+
+[tool.setuptools]
+# Pure-Python (ctypes) module + the bundled native library live in ant_ffi/.
+packages = ["ant_ffi"]
+
+[tool.setuptools.package-data]
+# Ship the native library next to the module; the generated loader resolves it
+# from the package directory. Wheels are platform-tagged (py3-none-<platform>),
+# one per OS/arch — the CI matrix builds the right binary per wheel.
+ant_ffi = ["*.dylib", "*.so", "*.dll"]
diff --git a/ffi/python/setup.py b/ffi/python/setup.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..c1738ca
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ffi/python/setup.py
@@ -0,0 +1,47 @@
+"""Platform-tagged wheel build for the UniFFI Python bindings.
+
+The generated bindings are pure-Python ctypes over a bundled native library
+(libant_ffi.{so,dylib,dll}). That combination confuses the default wheel
+machinery: setuptools sees no C extension and would tag the wheel
+`py3-none-any` (a lie — the wheel carries a platform-specific binary), while a
+`cpXY` ABI tag would be equally wrong (the ctypes module is ABI-independent and
+works on any CPython/PyPy).
+
+The correct tag is `py3-none-<platform>`: one wheel per OS/arch, valid for every
+Python 3. This overrides bdist_wheel to force exactly that:
+  * root_is_pure = False  -> emit a platform tag instead of `any`
+  * get_tag() -> ("py3", "none", <platform>) -> Python- and ABI-agnostic
+
+On Linux the resulting `linux_x86_64` tag is then handed to `auditwheel repair`,
+which verifies the glibc floor, bundles any external libs, and retags to the
+correct `manylinux_*` — auditwheel is the authority on portability, not us.
+"""
+
+from setuptools import setup
+from setuptools.dist import Distribution
+
+try:  # setuptools >= 70.1 vendors bdist_wheel
+    from setuptools.command.bdist_wheel import bdist_wheel
+except ImportError:  # older: fall back to the wheel package
+    from wheel.bdist_wheel import bdist_wheel
+
+
+class BinaryDistribution(Distribution):
+    # The wheel carries a native library (libant_ffi.{so,dylib,dll}). Declaring
+    # ext modules routes the package into platlib (not purelib) and forces a
+    # platform tag — required for the wheel to be platlib-compliant so that
+    # `auditwheel repair` will accept and retag it on Linux.
+    def has_ext_modules(self):
+        return True
+
+
+class PlatformWheel(bdist_wheel):
+    def get_tag(self):
+        # Valid for any Python 3 / any ABI (pure ctypes), pinned to this
+        # platform. Platform component is whatever bdist_wheel resolved (or the
+        # --plat-name override on the command line).
+        _python, _abi, plat = super().get_tag()
+        return "py3", "none", plat
+
+
+setup(distclass=BinaryDistribution, cmdclass={"bdist_wheel": PlatformWheel})
diff --git a/ffi/python/tests/test_smoke.py b/ffi/python/tests/test_smoke.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e0a3d91
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ffi/python/tests/test_smoke.py
@@ -0,0 +1,43 @@
+"""Offline smoke tests for the Python FFI bindings.
+
+Mirror of ffi/csharp/AntFfi.Tests: no network required. Verifies the generated
+bindings load (import + version) and a deterministic offline crypto op works
+(EVM address derivation from a known private key). The devnet put/get round-trip
+is exercised separately by examples/upload_download_demo.py where a devnet exists.
+
+    python3 -m pytest tests/    # or: python3 tests/test_smoke.py
+"""
+
+import sys
+from pathlib import Path
+
+sys.path.insert(0, str(Path(__file__).resolve().parent.parent))
+
+import ant_ffi
+from ant_ffi import Wallet
+
+# Standard Anvil dev account #0 — deterministic key -> address, pure crypto,
+# no RPC reachability needed.
+_ANVIL_KEY = "ac0974bec39a17e36ba4a6b4d238ff944bacb478cbed5efcae784d7bf4f2ff80"
+_ANVIL_ADDR = "0xf39fd6e51aad88f6f4ce6ab8827279cfffb92266"
+
+
+def test_bindings_load_and_report_version():
+    v = ant_ffi.ant_ffi_version()
+    assert isinstance(v, str) and v, "ant_ffi_version() should return a version string"
+
+
+def test_wallet_address_derivation_offline():
+    w = Wallet.from_private_key(
+        _ANVIL_KEY,
+        "http://localhost:8545",  # not contacted for address derivation
+        "0x5FbDB2315678afecb367f032d93F642f64180aa3",
+        "0x5FbDB2315678afecb367f032d93F642f64180aa3",
+    )
+    assert w.address().lower() == _ANVIL_ADDR
+
+
+if __name__ == "__main__":
+    test_bindings_load_and_report_version()
+    test_wallet_address_derivation_offline()
+    print(f"OK — ant_ffi {ant_ffi.ant_ffi_version()}: both offline smoke tests passed")
diff --git a/ffi/rust/Cargo.lock b/ffi/rust/Cargo.lock
index 242ec62..05bba1b 100644
--- a/ffi/rust/Cargo.lock
+++ b/ffi/rust/Cargo.lock
@@ -787,7 +787,7 @@ version = "1.1.5"
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
 checksum = "40c48f72fd53cd289104fc64099abca73db4166ad86ea0b4341abe65af83dadc"
 dependencies = [
- "windows-sys 0.61.2",
+ "windows-sys 0.60.2",
 ]
 
 [[package]]
@@ -798,7 +798,7 @@ checksum = "291e6a250ff86cd4a820112fb8898808a366d8f9f58ce16d1f538353ad55747d"
 dependencies = [
  "anstyle",
  "once_cell_polyfill",
- "windows-sys 0.61.2",
+ "windows-sys 0.60.2",
 ]
 
 [[package]]
@@ -967,6 +967,23 @@ dependencies = [
  "zeroize",
 ]
 
+[[package]]
+name = "ark-ff"
+version = "0.6.0"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "f7a806ac6c8307b929df4645776290a50ee2aac754ad09d8bdf73391309e43af"
+dependencies = [
+ "ark-ff-asm 0.6.0",
+ "ark-ff-macros 0.6.0",
+ "ark-serialize 0.6.0",
+ "ark-std 0.6.0",
+ "digest 0.10.7",
+ "educe",
+ "num-bigint",
+ "num-traits",
+ "zeroize",
+]
+
 [[package]]
 name = "ark-ff-asm"
 version = "0.3.0"
@@ -997,6 +1014,16 @@ dependencies = [
  "syn 2.0.117",
 ]
 
+[[package]]
+name = "ark-ff-asm"
+version = "0.6.0"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "1479009684adc073dff49a1025d3a7065b317a9ead25aaaca38cdc70058ba8a2"
+dependencies = [
+ "quote",
+ "syn 2.0.117",
+]
+
 [[package]]
 name = "ark-ff-macros"
 version = "0.3.0"
@@ -1035,6 +1062,19 @@ dependencies = [
  "syn 2.0.117",
 ]
 
+[[package]]
+name = "ark-ff-macros"
+version = "0.6.0"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "4a0691ed21ef00ef89c1e9bda832eba493dda3ec2f8d892fb25b705f73f06bb8"
+dependencies = [
+ "num-bigint",
+ "num-traits",
+ "proc-macro2",
+ "quote",
+ "syn 2.0.117",
+]
+
 [[package]]
 name = "ark-serialize"
 version = "0.3.0"
@@ -1068,6 +1108,30 @@ dependencies = [
  "num-bigint",
 ]
 
+[[package]]
+name = "ark-serialize"
+version = "0.6.0"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "a74dd304fd536fb95d0a328e72be759209cc496a9da094c5bc56e5fea4f9e86b"
+dependencies = [
+ "ark-serialize-derive",
+ "ark-std 0.6.0",
+ "digest 0.10.7",
+ "num-bigint",
+ "serde_with",
+]
+
+[[package]]
+name = "ark-serialize-derive"
+version = "0.6.0"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "4f153690697a2b91e5e1251ff98411ee5371500a111a0fd317a70e588eb300f9"
+dependencies = [
+ "proc-macro2",
+ "quote",
+ "syn 2.0.117",
+]
+
 [[package]]
 name = "ark-std"
 version = "0.3.0"
@@ -1098,6 +1162,16 @@ dependencies = [
  "rand 0.8.5",
 ]
 
+[[package]]
+name = "ark-std"
+version = "0.6.0"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "367c9c827ed431bff6868b7aa926e05b16eb46603cc8b6e768e4a5553fa1d155"
+dependencies = [
+ "num-traits",
+ "rand 0.8.5",
+]
+
 [[package]]
 name = "arrayref"
 version = "0.3.9"
@@ -2206,7 +2280,7 @@ dependencies = [
  "libc",
  "option-ext",
  "redox_users 0.5.2",
- "windows-sys 0.61.2",
+ "windows-sys 0.60.2",
 ]
 
 [[package]]
@@ -2380,7 +2454,7 @@ source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
 checksum = "39cab71617ae0d63f51a36d69f866391735b51691dbda63cf6f96d042b63efeb"
 dependencies = [
  "libc",
- "windows-sys 0.61.2",
+ "windows-sys 0.52.0",
 ]
 
 [[package]]
@@ -3660,7 +3734,7 @@ version = "0.50.3"
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
 checksum = "7957b9740744892f114936ab4a57b3f487491bbeafaf8083688b16841a4240e5"
 dependencies = [
- "windows-sys 0.61.2",
+ "windows-sys 0.60.2",
 ]
 
 [[package]]
@@ -4231,7 +4305,7 @@ dependencies = [
  "libc",
  "socket2 0.6.3",
  "tracing",
- "windows-sys 0.61.2",
+ "windows-sys 0.52.0",
 ]
 
 [[package]]
@@ -4629,14 +4703,15 @@ dependencies = [
 
 [[package]]
 name = "ruint"
-version = "1.17.2"
+version = "1.20.0"
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
-checksum = "c141e807189ad38a07276942c6623032d3753c8859c146104ac2e4d68865945a"
+checksum = "f5e99bff0393163bb25029a6af25d3d8d202ba5b5438a74d1bd8789f5c822970"
 dependencies = [
  "alloy-rlp",
  "ark-ff 0.3.0",
  "ark-ff 0.4.2",
  "ark-ff 0.5.0",
+ "ark-ff 0.6.0",
  "bytes",
  "fastrlp 0.3.1",
  "fastrlp 0.4.0",
@@ -4710,7 +4785,7 @@ dependencies = [
  "errno",
  "libc",
  "linux-raw-sys",
- "windows-sys 0.61.2",
+ "windows-sys 0.52.0",
 ]
 
 [[package]]
@@ -4778,7 +4853,7 @@ dependencies = [
  "security-framework",
  "security-framework-sys",
  "webpki-root-certs",
- "windows-sys 0.61.2",
+ "windows-sys 0.52.0",
 ]
 
 [[package]]
@@ -5471,7 +5546,7 @@ source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
 checksum = "3a766e1110788c36f4fa1c2b71b387a7815aa65f88ce0229841826633d93723e"
 dependencies = [
  "libc",
- "windows-sys 0.61.2",
+ "windows-sys 0.60.2",
 ]
 
 [[package]]
@@ -5664,7 +5739,7 @@ dependencies = [
  "getrandom 0.4.2",
  "once_cell",
  "rustix",
- "windows-sys 0.61.2",
+ "windows-sys 0.52.0",
 ]
 
 [[package]]
@@ -6619,7 +6694,7 @@ version = "0.1.11"
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
 checksum = "c2a7b1c03c876122aa43f3020e6c3c3ee5c05081c9a00739faf7503aeba10d22"
 dependencies = [
- "windows-sys 0.61.2",
+ "windows-sys 0.48.0",
 ]
 
 [[package]]
diff --git a/ffi/scripts/build.sh b/ffi/scripts/build.sh
index 672c779..d6a1243 100644
--- a/ffi/scripts/build.sh
+++ b/ffi/scripts/build.sh
@@ -62,6 +62,18 @@ mkdir -p "$SWIFT_GENERATED_DIR"
 uniffi-bindgen generate --library "$LIB_PATH" --language swift --out-dir "$SWIFT_GENERATED_DIR"
 echo "Generated Swift bindings in $SWIFT_GENERATED_DIR"
 
+echo ""
+echo "=== Step 2d: Generate Python bindings ==="
+PYTHON_DIR="$FFI_DIR/python"
+PYTHON_GENERATED_DIR="$PYTHON_DIR/ant_ffi"
+mkdir -p "$PYTHON_GENERATED_DIR"
+
+uniffi-bindgen generate --library "$LIB_PATH" --language python --out-dir "$PYTHON_GENERATED_DIR"
+# Bundle the native library next to the generated module; the loader resolves it
+# from the package directory ($PYTHON_GENERATED_DIR).
+cp "$LIB_PATH" "$PYTHON_GENERATED_DIR/"
+echo "Generated Python bindings in $PYTHON_GENERATED_DIR"
+
 echo ""
 echo "=== Step 3: Build .NET solution ==="
 
@@ -93,3 +105,4 @@ echo "Native library: $LIB_PATH"
 echo "C# bindings: $GENERATED_DIR"
 echo "Kotlin bindings: $KOTLIN_GENERATED_DIR"
 echo "Swift bindings: $SWIFT_GENERATED_DIR"
+echo "Python bindings: $PYTHON_GENERATED_DIR"