How to deploy a smart contract to Etherscan.io using Hardhat and Kovan testnet
Deploying your smart contract with Hardhat is easy because of the flexibility and room for easy modification of your project. Hardhat is an Ethereuem development environment that compiles and deploys a smart contract within a few minutes. It supports more than three development networks like Kovan, Ropsten, Goerli, and Rinkeby, and it has plugins that help integrate solhint, web3, waffle, ganache, truffle5, etherscan, ether to your project.
Etherscan is an Analytics Platform and Ethereum Block Explorer that helps you view data regarding any pending or confirmed Ethereum blockchain transactions. Since Ethereum is a public, open blockchain, whenever anyone interacts with it, the action is recorded into the transaction history, and it is available for anyone to see.
In this tutorial, you will use alchemyapi.io which is a blockchain supernode to create your Kovan network.
Follow the steps below to deploy your first smart contract
The first step is the installation of Hardhat
First step:
npm install --save-dev hardhat
Second step:
To create your Hardhat project run npx hardhat in your project folder
Third step:
change the solidity code in the “contract” folder with your own code and Modify the hardhat config file:
module.exports = {defaultNetwork: "kovan",networks: {hardhat: {},kovan: {url: "kovan url https",accounts: ["Kovan metamask private key"]}},etherscan: {// Your API key for Etherscan// Obtain one at https://etherscan.io/apiKey: "etherscan apikey"},solidity: "0.8.4",};
also, change the sample script:
// We get the contract to deployconst Ecommerce = await ethers.getContractFactory("name of your contract");const myEcommerce = await Ecommerce.deploy();await myEcommerce.deployed();console.log("MyFirstContract deployed to:", myEcommerce.address);
Note: make sure the contract name is same as the name you have in the getContractFactory = ethers.getContractFactory(“ecommerce”)
Fourth step:
Install Hardhat etherscan using the command: npm install --save-dev @nomiclabs/hardhat-etherscan
And add the following statement to your hardhat.config.js:
require("@nomiclabs/hardhat-etherscan");Fifth step:
Run the following command:
npx hardhat compileSixth step:
Run the following command
npx hardhat run scripts/sample-script.jssample-script is located in the scripts folder, so change the name to your desired name and run it with the new name.
For example: you changed the script name to “Escript.js”, your command should look like this:
npx hardhat run scripts/Escript.jsafter typing the command above you should have the following information
MyFirstContract deployed to: 0xc91e8DeFdEe5952BD51Ad500a6A82a49821b83Bc
then go to https://kovan.etherscan.io/ to check the address
Seventh step:
use the below command to verify the address
npx hardhat verify --network kovan (address)npx hardhat verify --network kovan 0x9ee0a566f83*******
then you will have the following information below
Compiling 1 file with 0.8.4
Successfully submitted source code for contract
contracts/Ecommerce.sol:ecommerce at 0xc91e8DeFdEe5952BD51Ad500a6A82a49821b83Bc
for verification on Etherscan. Waiting for verification result…
Successfully verified contract ecommerce on Etherscan.
https://kovan.etherscan.io/address/0xc91e8DeFdEe5952BD51Ad500a6A82a49821b83Bc#code
Eighth step:
To be able to interact with your smart contract on etherscan you will need some ethers, to get free ethers for testing use the below link:
Get a free faucet for Kovan, https://faucets.chain.link/
or watch my video on how to get free ethers https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5TsCD0cTlQI
Note: you will use your Kovan testnet address for getting the free ether.
Then go to https://kovan.etherscan.io/ for testing
Ninth step:
To be able to write a contract on etherscan, you will need to connect it to “Metamask”
Conclusion
Hardhat makes it super easy to deploy your smart contract to etherscan using Kovan, Ropsten, Gorlie, and Rinkeby testnet.
Full project: https://github.com/wise4rmgod/Ecommerce
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