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Deploy an ERC-20 Token

This tutorial will walk you through deploying an ERC-20 token on SKALE using Foundry and OpenZeppelin Contracts. OpenZeppelin provides secure, community-vetted smart contract templates that follow best practices.

Prerequisites

  • Rust installed on your machine
  • Foundry installed
  • A wallet with sFUEL
  • Basic knowledge of Solidity
  • A SKALE Chain endpoint
If you are on a Windows machine, you will need to use Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL), since Foundry doesn’t work natively on Windows.

Step 1: Install Foundry

If you haven’t already installed Foundry, run:
foundryup

Step 2: Create a New Foundry Project

Run the following in your terminal:
forge init my-erc20-token
cd my-erc20-token

Step 3: Install OpenZeppelin Contracts

Install OpenZeppelin Contracts using Foundry:
forge install OpenZeppelin/openzeppelin-contracts
This will add OpenZeppelin Contracts to your lib directory.

Step 4: Configure Remappings

Update your remappings.txt file (or create it if it doesn’t exist) to include:
@openzeppelin/=lib/openzeppelin-contracts/

Step 5: Update Foundry Configuration

Update the foundry.toml file to add your SKALE Chain endpoint:
[profile.default]
src = "src"
out = "out"
libs = ["lib"]

# SKALE Chain Configuration
[rpc_endpoints]
skale_testnet = "https://testnet.skalenodes.com/v1/juicy-low-small-testnet"
# Replace with your SKALE Chain endpoint

Step 6: Create the ERC-20 Contract

Create a new file src/MyERC20.sol:
// SPDX-License-Identifier: MIT
pragma solidity ^0.8.19;

import "@openzeppelin/contracts/token/ERC20/ERC20.sol";

contract MyERC20 is ERC20 {
    constructor() ERC20("MyToken", "MTK") {
        // Mint 1 million tokens to the deployer (18 decimals)
        _mint(msg.sender, 1000000 * 10 ** decimals());
    }
}
This contract:
  • Inherits from OpenZeppelin’s ERC20 contract
  • Sets the token name to “MyToken” and symbol to “MTK”
  • Mints 1,000,000 tokens to the deployer address upon deployment

Step 7: Compile the Contract

Compile your contract:
forge build

Step 8: Prepare Signer for Deployment

This tutorial uses the Foundry Keystore for increased security. Create a new keystore:
cast wallet import skale-deployer --private-key $(cast wallet new | grep 'Private key:' | awk '{print $3}')
Provide a password to encrypt the keystore file when running the above command. If you forget this password, you will not be able to recover it.
Get your wallet address:
cast wallet address --account skale-deployer
Copy the address and head over to the sFUEL Station. Input the address, toggle testnet, and fill up on your SKALE Chain.
Make sure you toggle testnet on first if you’re using a testnet chain!

Step 9: Deploy the Contract

Deploy your ERC-20 token to SKALE:
forge create src/MyERC20.sol:MyERC20 \
    --account skale-deployer \
    --rpc-url skale_testnet \
    --broadcast \
    --legacy
The --legacy flag is required for SKALE Chains. For more information, see Troubleshooting.
A successful deployment should look something like this:
Enter keystore password:
Deployer: 0x63a38D694de837dDF765f9b2704814275586D812
Deployed to: 0x4A435f6E471f773173774E860EBDcd17B132a2b4
Transaction hash: 0x3f6cc66e860cb82a6a62e3f5181c401e5558d60d622a9157437002e16c1ce488

Step 10: Verify Your Smart Contract

Verify your smart contract on the block explorer:
forge verify-contract \
    --rpc-url skale_testnet \
    <DEPLOYED_ADDRESS> \
    src/MyERC20.sol:MyERC20 \
    --verifier blockscout \
    --verifier-url https://juicy-low-small-testnet.explorer.testnet.skalenodes.com/api
Replace <DEPLOYED_ADDRESS> with your deployed contract address.

Next Steps

Congratulations! You’ve successfully deployed an ERC-20 token on SKALE. You can now:
  • Transfer tokens to other addresses
  • Approve spending allowances
  • Integrate the token into your dApp