Access Control

Managing Control and Access to a SKALE Chain

While SKALE Chains themselves are Layer 1 blockchains, the architectural design intentionally allows for a semi-permissioned access control layer that is manageable by the chain owners or operators. This allows for maximum flexibility where an individual chain can be locked down to only allow a single application or group of applications to deploy, be 100% public for anyone, or allow various factories to be used by different wallets.

Access Control to a SKALE Chain is managed by the Config Controller smart contract which is predeployed on a SKALE Chain. Config Controller makes use of OpenZeppellin’s Access Control to handle roles, events, and management automatically.

Access via Accounts

The most straightforward and common way to access a SKALE Chain for deployment is by having an externally owned account (EOA) added to the chain allow list. An account that is added to this list is given DEPLOYER_ROLE which allows it to directly bypass all restrictions and deploy ANY smart contract to a SKALE Chain as long as it fits within the block gas limit.

See how to add address to whitelist and how to remove from whitelist to understand how to manage your access control layer.

Access via Factories

Another common method for deployment is via factories.

SKALE Chain owners and operators can deploy popular generic factories such as CREATE2Factory, SingletonFactory, and CreateX to their chain and allow developers to use them when deploying to their chain.

Additionally, developers themselves can create contracts to deploy other contracts making specific factories for their uses.

Open Factory Usage

Open factory usage is where the SKALE Chain owner or operator grants DEPLOYER_ROLE to a smart contract that is acting as the factory. This then allows ANY account or smart to use the whitelisted factory to deploy a smart contract through.

Example: SushiSwap On the SKALE Europa Hub, SushiSwap which is based off of Uniswap; has a factory contract that creates liquidity pairs. This contract is dedicated to SushiSwap and allows for liquidity pairs (which are smart contracts) to be created by anyone via the UniswapV2/V3 factories that are deployed as part of SushiSwap’s core architecture.

This then allows anyone to deploy a smart contract via the factory regardless of their direct status on the allow list.

Closed Factory Usage

Closed factory usage is where the SKALE Chain owner or operator allows a specific account or set of accounts to deploy through a factory.

The unique part about this design is:

1. The accounts whitelisted on the specific factory DO NOT have the ability to deploy directly to the blockchain or through other factories

2. Accounts provided with DEPLOYER_ROLE generally on the blockchain can deploy via the contract IF the contract allows generic deployment rights

3. Accounts without DEPLOYER_ROLE cannot deploy through the factory IF the factory does not have DEPLOYER_ROLE directly; sufficiently securing the contract and chain from spam

Public Access

SKALE Chains by default come with the permission layer enabled. However, the permission layer can be enabled/disabled at any time by the SKALE Chain owner or operator. You can enable and disable the permission layer through the Config Controller smart contract.

Ethers v6

 // Using Ethers v6
import { Contract, JsonRpcProvider, Wallet } from "ethers";

const CONFIG_CONTROLLER_ABI = [
	"function enableFreeContractDeployment() external",
	"function disableFreeContractDeployment() external"
];
const CONFIG_CONTROLLER_PREDEPLOYED_ADDRESS = "0xD2002000000000000000000000000000000000d2";

async function main() {	
	const provider = new JsonRpcProvider("https://mainnet.skalenodes.com/v1/<SKALE Chain-name>");
	const wallet = new Wallet(process.env.PRIVATE_KEY, provider);
	const contract = new Contract(CONFIG_CONTROLLER_PREDEPLOYED_ADDRESS, CONFIG_CONTROLLER_ABI, wallet);
		
	// Allow anyone to deploy
	const res = await contract.enableFreeContractDeployment();

	// Disable deployments, role based allowances are enabled
	const res = await contract.disableFreeContractDeployment();
}

main()
	.catch((err) => {
		console.error(err);
		process.exitCode = 1;
	});

Managing Access

Add to Whitelist

The following is how to add an address to the SKALE Chain whitelist:

Ethers v6

 // Using Ethers v6
import { Contract, JsonRpcProvider, Wallet } from "ethers";

const WALLET_TO_WHITELIST = "0x...";
const CONFIG_CONTROLLER_ABI = [
	"function addToWhitelist(address addr) external"
];
const CONFIG_CONTROLLER_PREDEPLOYED_ADDRESS = "0xD2002000000000000000000000000000000000d2";
async function main() {
	
	const provider = new JsonRpcProvider("https://mainnet.skalenodes.com/v1/<SKALE Chain-name>");
	const wallet = new Wallet(process.env.PRIVATE_KEY, provider);
	const contract = new Contract(CONFIG_CONTROLLER_PREDEPLOYED_ADDRESS, CONFIG_CONTROLLER_ABI, wallet);
	const res = await contract.addToWhitelist(WALLET_TO_WHITELIST);

	console.log(`Wallet ${WALLET_TO_WHITELIST} whitelisted on SKALE Chain at ${res}`);
}

main()
	.catch((err) => {
		console.error(err);
		process.exitCode = 1;
	});

Remove from Whitelist

The following is how to remove an address from the SKALE Chain whitelist:

Ethers v6

 // Using Ethers v6
import { Contract, JsonRpcProvider, Wallet } from "ethers";

const WALLET_TO_REMOVE = "0x...";
const CONFIG_CONTROLLER_ABI = [
	"function removeFromWhitelist(address addr) external"
];
const CONFIG_CONTROLLER_PREDEPLOYED_ADDRESS = "0xD2002000000000000000000000000000000000d2";
async function main() {
	
	const provider = new JsonRpcProvider("https://mainnet.skalenodes.com/v1/<SKALE Chain-name>");
	const wallet = new Wallet(process.env.PRIVATE_KEY, provider);
	const contract = new Contract(CONFIG_CONTROLLER_PREDEPLOYED_ADDRESS, CONFIG_CONTROLLER_ABI, wallet);
	const res = await contract.removeFromWhitelist(WALLET_TO_REMOVE);

	console.log(`Wallet ${WALLET_TO_REMOVE} removed on SKALE Chain at ${res}`);
}

main()
	.catch((err) => {
		console.error(err);
		process.exitCode = 1;
	});

Add Admin for Contract

The following is how to add an admin which can manage a smart contract whitelist:

Ethers v6

 // Using Ethers v6
import { Contract, JsonRpcProvider, Wallet } from "ethers";

const ADMIN_WALLET_ADDRESS = "0x..."; // your eth address
const FACTORY_ADDRESS = "0x...";      // the contract deploying other contracts
const CONFIG_CONTROLLER_ABI = [
	"function addAllowedOriginRoleAdmin(address admin, address deployer) external"
];
const CONFIG_CONTROLLER_PREDEPLOYED_ADDRESS = "0xD2002000000000000000000000000000000000d2";
async function main() {
	
	const provider = new JsonRpcProvider("https://mainnet.skalenodes.com/v1/<SKALE Chain-name>");
	const wallet = new Wallet(process.env.PRIVATE_KEY, provider);
	const contract = new Contract(CONFIG_CONTROLLER_PREDEPLOYED_ADDRESS, CONFIG_CONTROLLER_ABI, wallet);
	const res = await contract.addAllowedOriginRoleAdmin(ADMIN_WALLET_ADDRESS, FACTORY_ADDRESS);

	console.log(`Wallet ${ADMIN_WALLET_ADDRESS} can now manage ${FACTORY_ADDRESS} on SKALE Chain at ${res}`);
}

main()
	.catch((err) => {
		console.error(err);
		process.exitCode = 1;
	});

Remove Admin from Contract Whitelist

The following is how to remove an admin from managing a smart contract whitelist:

Ethers v6

 // Using Ethers v6
import { Contract, JsonRpcProvider, Wallet } from "ethers";

const ADMIN_WALLET_ADDRESS = "0x..."; // your eth address
const FACTORY_ADDRESS = "0x...";      // the contract deploying other contracts
const CONFIG_CONTROLLER_ABI = [
	"function removeAllowedOriginRoleAdmin(address admin, address deployer) external"
];
const CONFIG_CONTROLLER_PREDEPLOYED_ADDRESS = "0xD2002000000000000000000000000000000000d2";
async function main() {
	
	const provider = new JsonRpcProvider("https://mainnet.skalenodes.com/v1/<SKALE Chain-name>");
	const wallet = new Wallet(process.env.PRIVATE_KEY, provider);
	const contract = new Contract(CONFIG_CONTROLLER_PREDEPLOYED_ADDRESS, CONFIG_CONTROLLER_ABI, wallet);
	const res = await contract.removeAllowedOriginRoleAdmin(ADMIN_WALLET_ADDRESS, FACTORY_ADDRESS);

	console.log(`Wallet ${ADMIN_WALLET_ADDRESS} can no longermanage ${FACTORY_ADDRESS} on SKALE Chain at ${res}`);
}

main()
	.catch((err) => {
		console.error(err);
		process.exitCode = 1;
	});

Add to Contract Whitelist

The following is how to add an address to the SKALE Chain whitelist:

Ethers v6

 // Using Ethers v6
import { Contract, JsonRpcProvider, Wallet } from "ethers";

const WALLET_TO_WHITELIST = "0x...";
const FACTORY_ADDRESS = "0x...";
const CONFIG_CONTROLLER_ABI = [
	"function allowOrigin(address transactionOrigin, address deployer) external"
];
const CONFIG_CONTROLLER_PREDEPLOYED_ADDRESS = "0xD2002000000000000000000000000000000000d2";
async function main() {
	
	const provider = new JsonRpcProvider("https://mainnet.skalenodes.com/v1/<SKALE Chain-name>");
	const wallet = new Wallet(process.env.PRIVATE_KEY, provider);
	const contract = new Contract(CONFIG_CONTROLLER_PREDEPLOYED_ADDRESS, CONFIG_CONTROLLER_ABI, wallet);
	const res = await contract.allowOrigin(WALLET_TO_WHITELIST, FACTORY_ADDRESS);

	console.log(`Wallet ${WALLET_TO_WHITELIST} whitelisted on SKALE Chain at ${res}`);
}

main()
	.catch((err) => {
		console.error(err);
		process.exitCode = 1;
	});

Remove from Contract Whitelist

The following is how to remove an address from the SKALE Chain whitelist:

Ethers v6

 // Using Ethers v6
import { Contract, JsonRpcProvider, Wallet } from "ethers";

const WALLET_TO_WHITELIST = "0x...";
const FACTORY_ADDRESS = "0x...";
const CONFIG_CONTROLLER_ABI = [
	"function forbidOrigin(address transactionOrigin, address deployer) external"
];
const CONFIG_CONTROLLER_PREDEPLOYED_ADDRESS = "0xD2002000000000000000000000000000000000d2";
async function main() {
	
	const provider = new JsonRpcProvider("https://mainnet.skalenodes.com/v1/<SKALE Chain-name>");
	const wallet = new Wallet(process.env.PRIVATE_KEY, provider);
	const contract = new Contract(CONFIG_CONTROLLER_PREDEPLOYED_ADDRESS, CONFIG_CONTROLLER_ABI, wallet);
	const res = await contract.forbidOrigin(WALLET_TO_WHITELIST, FACTORY_ADDRESS);

	console.log(`Wallet ${WALLET_TO_WHITELIST} can no longer deploy via ${FACTORY_ADDRESS} on SKALE Chain at ${res}`);
}

main()
	.catch((err) => {
		console.error(err);
		process.exitCode = 1;
	});