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Deploying a Smart Contract using Foundry

This guide covers how to deploy a simple smart contract on your EVM, built on top of PWR Chain, using the Foundry framework. By following these steps, you will set up your environment, write, and deploy a basic Solidity contract.

Prerequisites​

Before you begin, ensure you have the following installed and configured:

  1. Foundry: A blazing-fast, modular, and portable Ethereum development framework.

    • Install Foundry by running:
    curl -L https://foundry.paradigm.xyz | bash foundryup

  2. Wallet/Private Key:

    • Have an account with funds on your EVM network.
    • Keep the private key of the account handy for deployment.

  3. Basic Knowledge of Solidity:

    • Familiarity with Solidity and smart contracts is recommended.

Setup​

To build the smart contracts we will be using Foundry. first create a new folder on your computer - we will name ours foundry-app and go to it through your Terminal.

forge init foundry-app

Writing the Simple Contract​

Once your Foundry project is set up, open the foundry-app folder in your code editor, and create a new file named SimpleContract.sol inside src. Write the following code in that file:

// SPDX-License-Identifier: MIT
pragma solidity ^0.8.20;

contract SimpleContract {
    string public message;

    constructor(string memory _message) {
        message = _message;
    }

    function setMessage(string memory _newMessage) public {
        message = _newMessage;
    }
}

Environment Variables​

Start off by going to the .env file inside the foundry-app folder and add the following placeholder lines:

PRIVATE_KEY="..."
RPC_URL="..."

For the PRIVATE_KEY variable, export it from MetaMask. Again, make sure to use an account that only has testnet funds in it, no mainnet funds, to not risk accidentally leaking a private key with real money in it. Replace the value of PRIVATE_KEY in the .env file with the key you export.

For the RPC_URL, you can use one of our EVMs like https://bitcoinplus.pwrlabs.io/.

Deploying the Simple Contract​

Now we'll have to load our environment variables into the terminal's environment. For doing this, run the following command in your terminal

source .env

Finally, to deploy your contract, run the following command:

forge create --rpc-url $RPC_URL --private-key $PRIVATE_KEY src/SimpleContract.sol:SimpleContract

Verifying the Smart Contract​

Verification ensures your deployed contract’s source code matches the on-chain bytecode. You can use the following command to verify your contract directly through Blockscout:

forge verify-contract \
  --rpc-url $RPC_URL \
  --verifier blockscout \
  --verifier-url 'https://btcplusexplorer.pwrlabs.io/api/' \
  CONTRACT_ADDRESS \
  src/SimpleContract.sol:SimpleContract

Replace CONTRACT_ADDRESS with the address of your deployed contract.

Troubleshooting​

  • RPC Connection Issues: Ensure your RPC URL https://bitcoinplus.pwrlabs.io/ is reachable.
  • Insufficient Gas: Make sure your account has enough funds for deployment.
  • Environment Variable Errors: Double-check your .env file for correct values.
  • Verification Errors: Ensure you input the correct contract details and URL during verification.

Conclusion​

You have successfully deployed and verified a simple smart contract on your EVM using Foundry. This process can be adapted for more complex contracts and verification workflows.

If you have any doubts or questions, join the Discord Server and we'll be waiting for you there!