Deploy an ERC20 Token
Example contract
Let's start with a simple ERC20 token an example contract:
// SPDX-License-Identifier: MIT
pragma solidity ^0.8.20;
import "@openzeppelin/contracts/token/ERC20/ERC20.sol";
import "@openzeppelin/contracts/access/Ownable.sol";
contract ExampleToken is ERC20, Ownable {
constructor() ERC20("ExampleToken", "ETK") Ownable(msg.sender) {
_mint(msg.sender, 1000);
}
function mint(address to, uint256 amount) external onlyOwner {
_mint(to, amount);
}
}Code Explanation
Imports: The contract imports the ERC20 and Ownable contracts from OpenZeppelin.
Constructor: The constructor initializes the token with a name ("ExampleToken") and symbol ("ETK"), and mints the initial supply to the contract deployer.
Mint Function: The mint function allows the owner (i.e. the account that deployed the contract) to mint additional tokens.
Deploy using Hardhat
Set up the environment
Ensure you have the latest nodeJS and npm:
curl -o- https://raw.githubusercontent.com/nvm-sh/nvm/v0.39.1/install.sh | bash
nvm install 22
nvm use 22
nvm alias default 22
npm install npm --global # Upgrade npm to the latest versionCreate a new Hardhat project:
mkdir ExampleToken && cd ExampleTokem
npm init
npm install --save-dev hardhat
npx hardhat initInstall dependencies & Hardhat plugins
npm install @openzeppelin/contracts
npm install --save-dev @nomicfoundation/hardhat-toolboxUpdate Hardhat Config
Open hardhat.config.js and configure the IoTeX network:
javascript
require("@nomicfoundation/hardhat-toolbox");
/** @type import('hardhat/config').HardhatUserConfig */
module.exports = {
solidity: "0.8.20",
networks: {
testnet: {
url: "https://babel-api.testnet.iotex.io",
accounts: [`${TESTNET_PRIVATE_KEY}`]
},
mainnet: {
url: "https://babel-api.testnet.iotex.io",
accounts: [`${MAINNET_PRIVATE_KEY}`]
}
}
};Replace TESTNET_PRIVATE_KEY with the private key of the account you want to use for deployment.
Create the Contract File
Create a new contracts directory and new file contracts/ExampleToken.sol and add the ERC20 token contract code provided above (make sure you delete any example contracts already created in the contracts folder).
Write an ignition module for Deployment
Inside the ignition folder add a file ExampleToken.js with the following content:
const { buildModule } = require("@nomicfoundation/hardhat-ignition/modules");
const { parseUnits } = require("ethers"); // Ensure you import parseUnits from ethers
const ExampleTokenModule = buildModule("ExampleTokenModule", (m) => {
// Deploy the ExampleToken contract with the specified initial supply
const token = m.contract("ExampleToken");
return { token };
});
module.exports = ExampleTokenModule;Deploy the Contract
npx hardhat ignition deploy ./ignition/modules/ExampleToken.js --network testnetThis setup should provide a comprehensive tutorial on deploying a basic ERC20 token contract on the IoTeX blockchain using HardHat.
Deploy using Foundry
This quick start guide will help you deploy smart contracts on the IoTeX blockchain using the Foundry suite. Foundry is a fast, portable, and modular toolkit for Ethereum application development written in Rust.
Setup the Environment
If you haven't installed Foundry, use the following command:
curl -L https://foundry.paradigm.xyz | bash foundryupSet Up Your Project
Create a new project directory and navigate into it:
mkdir ExampleToken && cd ExampleTokenInitialize a new Foundry project:
forge initWrite Your Smart Contract
Navigate to the src directory and create a new Solidity file ExampleToken.sol and add the ERC20 token contract code provided above.
Compile Your Smart Contract
Compile the smart contract using Foundry:
forge buildConfigure a Deployment Script
Foundry uses cast to interact with the blockchain. Create a .env file to store your private key securely:
echo "PRIVATE_KEY=your_private_key_here" > .envLoad the environment variables:
source .envDeploy Your Smart Contract
Use the cast send command to deploy your contract to the IoTeX testnet. Replace MyContract with the name of your compiled contract and adjust the RPC URL if needed.
cast send --rpc-url https://babel-api.testnet.iotex.io \
--private-key $PRIVATE_KEY --legacy --create \
$(cat out/MyContract.sol/MyContract.json | jq -r .bytecode.object)Verify the Deployment
Once deployed, you will receive a transaction hash. Use this hash to verify the deployment on the IoTeX testnet explorer.
Example Contract Interaction
After deployment, you can interact with your contract. For example, to call the setMessage function:
cast send --rpc-url https://babel-api.testnet.iotex.io \
--private-key $PRIVATE_KEY --legacy \
<contract_address> "setMessage(string)" "Hello, IoTeX!"Conclusion
By following this quick start guide, you have successfully deployed a smart contract on the IoTeX blockchain using the Foundry suite. Foundry’s powerful tools make it easy to develop, deploy, and interact with smart contracts on IoTeX. For more advanced features and configurations, refer to the Foundry documentation.
If you have any questions or run into issues, feel free to ask our community on Discord!

