Ethereum tooling

Set up MetaMask, Hardhat, Foundry, and development tools to build and deploy smart contracts on Ethereum through your Chainstack RPC node endpoints.

Run nodes on Chainstack

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Get started with a reliable Ethereum RPC endpoint to use the tools below.

Wallets

Wallets allow the addition of custom RPC endpoints either by directly modifying the settings of an existing network (e.g., Ethereum) or by adding a custom network and specifying a custom RPC endpoint.

To obtain the address of your RPC endpoint, navigate to the node details on the Chainstack console and locate the Execution client HTTPS endpoint in the Access and credentials section. When adding a new network, you need a chain ID which you can on resources like chainlist.org or chainlist.wtf.

MetaMask

In the section Access and credentials of a Chainstack Node, press Connect wallet. This will prompt you to confirm a new network details.

To add a network manually, go to Networks and add a new network with a required chain ID and your Chainstack RPC endpoint.

Trust Wallet

To add a custom RPC to Trust Wallet, open the wallet and navigate to the Settings section. Look for the Network section to add a custom network with your Chainstack RPC endpoint.

Rainbow

To add a custom RPC to Rainbow Wallet, open the wallet and navigate to the Settings section. Look for the Networks to add your Chainstack RPC endpoint.

Rabby

To add a custom RPC to Rabby, open the wallet and go to Settings > Modify RPC URL to replace the node Rabby uses for a chain it already supports. See Adding a custom RPC endpoint to Rabby.

Frame Desktop

To add a custom RPC to Frame Desktop, open the wallet and navigate to the Chains section. Click on the chain details to add your Chainstack RPC endpoint.

IDEs

Cloud-based IDEs provide the flexibility to use injected providers. MetaMask is the most commonly used one. By adding a Chainstack RPC node in MetaMask and connecting to the wallet in your IDE, you can seamlessly interact with the network through a Chainstack node.

Remix IDE

To enable Remix IDE to interact with the network through a Chainstack node, you can follow these steps:

1. Install and set up MetaMask to use a Chainstack node for interaction. You can refer to the guide on Interacting through MetaMask for detailed instructions.
2. Open Remix IDE and navigate the Connect wallet button. Here, select Injected Web3 Provider and then MetaMask.

Programming languages and libraries

Communication protocols

WebSockets and HTTP are essential communication protocols in web applications. WebSockets enable two-way, persistent communication between a client and a server, useful for real-time price feeds, live transaction monitoring, and event notifications. In contrast, HTTP follows a one-way, request-response model, ideal for retrieving periodic price updates and transaction histories.

ethers.js

Build DApps using ethers.js and Ethereum nodes deployed with Chainstack.

1. Install ethers.js

   Bash

   npm install ethers
   

2. Initialize HTTP or WebSocket provider

   Javascript

   import { ethers } from 'ethers';
   
   // Using HTTP provider
   const httpProvider = new ethers.JsonRpcProvider("/*YOUR_HTTP_CHAINSTACK_ENDPOINT*/");
   httpProvider.getBlockNumber().then(console.log);
   
   // Using WebSocket provider
   const wsProvider = new ethers.WebSocketProvider("/*YOUR_WS_CHAINSTACK_ENDPOINT*/");
   wsProvider.getBlockNumber().then((blockNumber) => {
       console.log(blockNumber);
       wsProvider.destroy();
   });
   

web3.py

Build DApps using web3.py and Ethereum nodes deployed with Chainstack.

1. Install web3.py
   Bash

   pip install web3
   
2. Initialize HTTP or WebSocket provider
   Python

   from web3 import Web3
   
   # Using HTTP provider
   http_web3 = Web3(Web3.HTTPProvider("/*YOUR_HTTP_CHAINSTACK_ENDPOINT*/"))
   print(http_web3.eth.block_number)
   
   # Using WebSocket provider
   with Web3(Web3.WebsocketProvider("/*YOUR_WS_CHAINSTACK_ENDPOINT*/")) as ws_web3:
       print(ws_web3.eth.block_number)
   

Nethereum (.NET)

Build DApps using Nethereum and Ethereum nodes deployed with Chainstack.

1. Install Nethereum

2. Initialize HTTP or WebSocket provider

   C#

   using Nethereum.JsonRpc.WebSocketClient;
   using Nethereum.Web3;
   
   namespace TutorialWeb3
   {
       internal class Program
       {
           static void Main(string[] args)
           {
               // Using HTTP provider
               var httpClient = new Web3("/*YOUR_HTTP_CHAINSTACK_ENDPOINT*/");
               var httpBlockNumber = httpClient.Eth.Blocks.GetBlockNumber.SendRequestAsync().GetAwaiter().GetResult();
               Console.WriteLine($"HTTP Block Number: {httpBlockNumber}");
   
               // Using WebSocket provider
               using (var wsClient = new WebSocketClient("/*YOUR_WS_CHAINSTACK_ENDPOINT*/"))
               {
                   var web3Ws = new Web3(wsClient);
                   var wsBlockNumber = web3Ws.Eth.Blocks.GetBlockNumber.SendRequestAsync().GetAwaiter().GetResult();
                   Console.WriteLine("WS Block Number: " + wsBlockNumber);
               }
           }
       }
   }
   

viem

Build DApps using viem and Ethereum nodes deployed with Chainstack.

1. Install viem

2. Initialize HTTP or WebSocket provider

   Typescript

   import { createPublicClient, http, webSocket } from 'viem';
   import { mainnet } from 'viem/chains';
   
   // Using HTTP provider
   const httpClient = createPublicClient({
     chain: mainnet,
     transport: http("/*YOUR_HTTP_CHAINSTACK_ENDPOINT*/"),
   });
   
   const blockNumber = await httpClient.getBlockNumber();
   console.log(blockNumber);
   
   // Using WebSocket provider
   const wsClient = createPublicClient({
       chain: mainnet,
       transport: webSocket("/*YOUR_WS_CHAINSTACK_ENDPOINT*/"),
     })
   
   const wsBlockNumber = await wsClient.getBlockNumber();
   console.log(wsBlockNumber);
   await wsClient.transport.getRpcClient().then((rpcClient) => {
       rpcClient.close();
   });
   

Development frameworks and toolkits

Foundry

Configure Foundry to deploy contracts using Chainstack Ethereum nodes.

1. Install Foundry

   Bash

   curl -L https://foundry.paradigm.xyz | bash
   foundryup
   

2. Configure environment in Foundry

   Create a new Foundry project:

   Bash

   forge init my_project
   cd my_project
   

   Create a .env file in your project root and add your Chainstack endpoint and private key:

   Bash

   CHAINSTACK_MAINNET_ENDPOINT=https://your-chainstack-mainnet-url
   CHAINSTACK_DEVNET_ENDPOINT=https://your-chainstack-devnet-url
   
   PRIVATE_KEY_MAINNET=your-mainnet-private-key
   PRIVATE_KEY_DEVNET=your-devnet-private-key
   

   You need to load the environment variables into your shell session:

   Bash

   source .env
   echo $CHAINSTACK_DEVNET_ENDPOINT
   echo $PRIVATE_KEY_DEVNET
   

   Update your foundry.toml file to include the Chainstack network:

   TOML

   [profile.default]
   src = 'src'
   out = 'out'
   libs = ['lib']
   
   [rpc_endpoints]
   mainnet = "${CHAINSTACK_MAINNET_ENDPOINT}"
   devnet = "${CHAINSTACK_DEVNET_ENDPOINT}"
   

3. Before deploying, ensure that your contracts are compiled. This step is crucial to avoid deployment issues.

   Bash

   forge build
   

4. To use the Chainstack endpoint for deployment, you can use the following command:

   Bash

   forge create --rpc-url ${CHAINSTACK_DEVNET_ENDPOINT} --private-key ${PRIVATE_KEY_DEVNET} src/YourContract.sol:YourContract
   

   Alternatively, you can create a deployment script in the script folder, for example Deploy.s.sol:

   solidity

   // script/Deploy.s.sol
   
   // Specify the Solidity version
   pragma solidity ^0.8.20;
   
   // Import the Forge script library
   import "forge-std/Script.sol";
   
   // Import your contract
   import "../src/YourContract.sol";
   
   contract DeployScript is Script {
       function run() external {
           // Retrieve the deployer's private key from the environment variables
           uint256 deployerPrivateKey = vm.envUint("PRIVATE_KEY_DEVNET"); // Change to PRIVATE_KEY_MAINNET for mainnet
   
           // Start broadcasting transactions using the deployer's private key
           vm.startBroadcast(deployerPrivateKey);
   
           // Deploy the contract
           YourContract yourContract = new YourContract();
   
           // Stop broadcasting transactions
           vm.stopBroadcast();
   
           // Log the deployed contract address
           console2.log("Contract deployed at:", address(yourContract));
       }
   }
   

   Then run the script with:

   Bash

   forge script script/Deploy.s.sol:DeployScript --rpc-url devnet--broadcast
   

5. Interact with the blockchain using Cast. Use the following command to query the balance of an Ethereum address:

   Bash

   cast balance <ETH_ADDRESS> --rpc-url $CHAINSTACK_DEVNET_ENDPOINT
   

   Replace <ETH_ADDRESS> with the actual Ethereum address you want to query.

Hardhat

Configure Hardhat to deploy contracts using Chainstack Ethereum nodes.

1. Install Hardhat and other dependencies

   Bash

   npm init -y
   npm install --save-dev hardhat @nomiclabs/hardhat-ethers ethers dotenv
   

2. Configure environment in Hardhat Create a .env file in your project root and add your Chainstack endpoint and private key:

   Bash

   CHAINSTACK_MAINNET_ENDPOINT=https://your-chainstack-mainnet-url
   CHAINSTACK_DEVNET_ENDPOINT=https://your-chainstack-devnet-url
   
   PRIVATE_KEY_MAINNET=your-mainnet-private-key
   PRIVATE_KEY_DEVNET=your-devnet-private-key
   

   Initiate a project:

   Bash

   npx hardhat init
   

   Update your hardhat.config.js file to use the Chainstack endpoint:

   Javascript

   require('@nomiclabs/hardhat-ethers');
   require('dotenv').config();
   
   module.exports = {
     solidity: "0.8.20", // Specify the required compiler version
     networks: {
       mainnet: {
         url: process.env.CHAINSTACK_MAINNET_ENDPOINT,
         accounts: [process.env.PRIVATE_KEY_MAINNET]  // Mainnet private key
       },
       devnet: {
         url: process.env.CHAINSTACK_DEVNET_ENDPOINT,
         accounts: [process.env.PRIVATE_KEY_DEVNET]  // Devnet private key
       }
     }
   };
   

3. To deploy your contracts using the Chainstack endpoint, you can create a deployment script in the scripts folder, for example deploy.js:

   Javascript

   const hre = require("hardhat");
   
   async function main() {
     // Retrieve the deployer account from the list of signers
     const [deployer] = await hre.ethers.getSigners();
     console.log("Deploying contracts with the account:", deployer.address);
   
     // Load the contract factory from the contracts folder
     const Token = await hre.ethers.getContractFactory("MyToken");  // Replace "MyToken" with your contract name
   
     // Specify the initial supply for the token (adjust as necessary)
     const initialSupply = hre.ethers.utils.parseUnits("1000", 18);  // Adjust the supply and decimals as needed
   
     // Deploy the contract and wait for it to be mined
     const token = await Token.deploy(initialSupply);
     await token.deployed();
   
     // Output the contract address and transaction hash once deployed
     console.log("Contract deployed at address:", token.address);
     console.log("Transaction hash:", token.deployTransaction.hash);
   }
   
   // Execute the main function and handle potential errors
   main()
     .then(() => process.exit(0))
     .catch((error) => {
       console.error("Error during deployment:", error);
       process.exit(1);
     });
   

4. Compile the contracts

   Bash

   npx hardhat compile
   

5. Use the appropriate network flag (mainnet or devnet) to deploy to the respective network

   Bash

   npx hardhat run scripts/deploy.js --network devnet
   

Scaffold-ETH 2

Configure Scaffold-ETH 2 to deploy contracts using Chainstack Ethereum nodes.

1. Clone the Scaffold-ETH 2 repository

   Bash

   git clone https://github.com/scaffold-eth/scaffold-eth-2.git
   cd scaffold-eth-2
   

2. Install dependencies

   Bash

   yarn install
   

3. Create a .env.local file in the root directory of your project

   Bash

   touch .env.local
   

4. Add your Chainstack endpoint and private key to the .env.local file

   CHAINSTACK_MAINNET_ENDPOINT=https://your-chainstack-mainnet-url
   CHAINSTACK_DEVNET_ENDPOINT=https://your-chainstack-devnet-url
   
   DEPLOYER_PRIVATE_KEY=your-private-key-here
   

   Note: by default, Scaffold-ETH 2 uses Alchemy RPC nodes and it assumes the config contains an Alchemy API key. We can override this setting Chainstack RPC nodes and updating some other configs.

5. Modify the packages/hardhat/hardhat.config.ts file to configure the Chainstack endpoint. Locate the networks section and add or modify the configuration for the Chainstack networks

   Bash

   const config: HardhatUserConfig = {
     solidity: "0.8.20", // Ensure to specify the correct Solidity version
     networks: {
       mainnet: {
         url: process.env.CHAINSTACK_MAINNET_ENDPOINT || `https://eth-mainnet.g.alchemy.com/v2/${providerApiKey}`, // Use the Chainstack mainnet endpoint
         // accounts: [process.env.DEPLOYER_PRIVATE_KEY_MAINNET as string], // Mainnet private key
       },
       sepolia: {
         url: process.env.CHAINSTACK_DEVNET_ENDPOINT || `https://eth-sepolia.g.alchemy.com/v2/${providerApiKey}`, // Use the Chainstack devnet endpoint
         // accounts: [process.env.DEPLOYER_PRIVATE_KEY_DEVNET as string], // Devnet private key
       },
       // ... other network configurations
     },
   };
   

6. Compile contracts using Hardhat

   Bash

   cd packages/hardhat
   yarn hardhat compile
   

7. To deploy your contracts using the Chainstack endpoint, run

   yarn deploy --network sepolia
   

8. To start the Next.js app with the Chainstack configuration

   yarn start
   

Truffle (no longer maintained)

Configure Truffle to deploy contracts using Chainstack Ethereum nodes.

1. Install Truffle and other dependencies

   # Initialize a new npm project
   npm init -y
   
   # Install Truffle as a local development dependency
   npm install --save-dev truffle @truffle/hdwallet-provider dotenv
   

2. Configure environment in Truffle Initialize a new Truffle project:

   Bash

   npx truffle init
   

   Create a .env file in your project root and add your Chainstack endpoint and private key:

   Bash

   CHAINSTACK_MAINNET_ENDPOINT=https://your-chainstack-mainnet-url
   CHAINSTACK_DEVNET_ENDPOINT=https://your-chainstack-devnet-url
   
   PRIVATE_KEY_MAINNET=your-mainnet-private-key
   PRIVATE_KEY_DEVNET=your-devnet-private-key
   

   Update your truffle-config.js file to use the Chainstack endpoint:

   Javascript

   require('dotenv').config();
   const HDWalletProvider = require('@truffle/hdwallet-provider');
   
   module.exports = {
     networks: {
       // Configuration for Mainnet
       mainnet: {
         provider: () => new HDWalletProvider(process.env.PRIVATE_KEY_MAINNET, process.env.CHAINSTACK_MAINNET_ENDPOINT),
         network_id: 1,       // Mainnet's network ID
       },
       // Configuration for Devnet
       devnet: {
         provider: () => new HDWalletProvider(process.env.PRIVATE_KEY_DEVNET, process.env.CHAINSTACK_DEVNET_ENDPOINT),
         network_id: 11155111,    // Sepolia
       },
     },
     compilers: {
       solc: {
         version: "0.8.20",  // Specify the Solidity compiler version
       },
     },
   };
   

3. Create a migration script in the migrations folder to deploy your contract (migrations/1_deploy_contract_name.js)

   Javascript

   // Import your contract artifact
   const YourContract = artifacts.require("CONTRACT_NAME");
   
   module.exports = function (deployer) {
     deployer.deploy(YourContract);
   };
   

4. Compile the contracts

   Bash

   npx truffle compile
   

5. To deploy your contract using the Chainstack endpoint, run

   Bash

   truffle migrate --network devnet
   

Ape

Configure Ape Framework to deploy contracts using Chainstack Ethereum nodes. Before performing the following steps, you can set up and activate a virtual environment.

1. Install Ape and dependencies

   Bash

   pip install eth-ape
   

2. Configure environment in Ape Initialize a project:

   Bash

   ape init
   

   Create or update your ape-config.yaml file in your project root:

   yaml

   name: ape-1
   
   contracts_folder: contracts  # Default is contracts
   
   default_ecosystem: ethereum # Default is ethereum
   
   node:
     ethereum:
       mainnet:
         uri: CHAINSTACK_MAINNET_ENDPOINT
       sepolia:
         uri: CHAINSTACK_SEPOLIA_ENDPOINT
   
   dependencies:
     - name: OpenZeppelin
       github: OpenZeppelin/openzeppelin-contracts/token/ERC20/ERC20.sol # Example
       version: 4.4.2
   

3. Import an account. You’ll be prompted to enter a private key and pass phrase to encrypt it.

   Bash

   ape accounts import devnet_deployer
   

4. To deploy your contracts using the Chainstack endpoint, you can create a deployment script, for example scripts/deploy.py

   Python

   from ape import accounts, project
   
   def main():
       # Load the account for deployment
       # Change 'devnet_deployer' to 'mainnet_deployer' when deploying to mainnet
       account = accounts.load("devnet_deployer")
   
       # Deploy the contract
       contract = account.deploy(project.MyContract)  # Replace 'MyContract' with your contract's name and add its arguments
   
       # Output the contract address
       print(f"Contract deployed at: {contract.address}")
   
       # Output the transaction hash
       print(f"Transaction hash: {contract.txn_hash.hex()}")
   
   if __name__ == "__main__":
       main()
   

5. Compile contracts. Before deploying, ensure your contracts are compiled. Ape automatically compiles contracts when deploying, but you can manually compile them if needed

   Bash

   ape compile
   

6. Run the deployment script using

   Bash

   ape run scripts/deploy.py --network ethereum:sepolia
   

Brownie

Configure Brownie to deploy contracts using Chainstack Ethereum nodes.

1. Create a Python virtual environment and install Brownie

   Bash

   python -m venv venv
   source venv/bin/activate  # On Windows, use venv\Scripts\activate
   
   pip install eth-brownie
   

2. Configure environment in Brownie Create a new Brownie project (add --force if a folder is not empty):

   Bash

   brownie init
   

   In your project directory, create a .env file and add your Chainstack endpoint and private key:

   Bash

   CHAINSTACK_MAINNET_ENDPOINT=https://your-chainstack-mainnet-url
   CHAINSTACK_DEVNET_ENDPOINT=https://your-chainstack-devnet-url
   
   PRIVATE_KEY_MAINNET=your-mainnet-private-key
   PRIVATE_KEY_DEVNET=your-devnet-private-key
   

   Ensure that your terminal session loads these environment variables. You can manually source the .env file:

   Bash

   source .env
   

   Update the brownie-config.yaml file in your project root:

   yaml

   dotenv: .env
   
   networks:
     default: development
   
     chainstack-mainnet:
       host: ${CHAINSTACK_MAINNET_ENDPOINT}
       chainid: 1
       explorer: https://etherscan.io
   
     chainstack-devnet:
       host: ${CHAINSTACK_DEVNET_ENDPOINT}
       chainid: 1337  # Example chain ID for devnet; adjust if different
   

   Add a custom network to Brownie’s network list:

   Bash

   brownie networks add Ethereum chainstack-mainnet host=${CHAINSTACK_MAINNET_ENDPOINT} chainid=1
   brownie networks add Ethereum chainstack-devnet host=${CHAINSTACK_DEVNET_ENDPOINT} chainid=1337
   

   To use your private key for deployments, you can create a scripts/deploy.py file:

   Python

   import os
   from brownie import accounts, Counter  # Replace 'Counter' with your contract's class name
   
   def main():
       # Load the deployer's account using the private key from the environment variable
       acct = accounts.add(os.getenv("PRIVATE_KEY_DEVNET"))  # Use PRIVATE_KEY_MAINNET for mainnet
   
       # Deploy the contract (Replace 'Counter' with the actual name of your contract)
       contract = Counter.deploy({'from': acct})
   
       # Output the contract address and transaction hash
       print(f"Contract deployed at: {contract.address}")
       print(f"Transaction hash: {contract.tx.txid}")
   

3. To deploy your contracts using the Chainstack endpoint, run

   Bash

   brownie run scripts/deploy.py --network chainstack-devnet