Deploy an NFT Contract - ERC721

Deploying an ERC-721 token contract for NFTs on VANAR chain is a straightforward process that is exact similar to what is explained in 'Deploy a Token Contract - ERC20'. The only difference is down to the smart contract level which is different to an ERC20 token contract.

Below are the libraries and tools used for this tutorial:

  • OpenZeppelin - used for standard ERC20 base contract that is well tested and used by many production scale projects

  • Hardhat - is a tool and an environment that helps you compile, build, deploy and test you smart contracts along many other features.

Prerequisites:

  1. Node.js and npm installed on your machine.

  2. Basic knowledge of Solidity and Ethereum development.

Step 1: Set Up a New Hardhat Project

If you don't already have a Hardhat project, you can create one by following these steps:

  • Create a new directory for your project and navigate to it in the terminal:

mkdir my-erc721-token
cd my-erc721-token

  • Initialize a new Node.js project with npm:

npm init -y

  • Install Hardhat as a development dependency:

npm install --save-dev hardhat

  • Initialize Hardhat in your project:

npx hardhat

Follow the prompts to configure your project.

Step 2: Write the ERC-721 Token Contract

Now, you'll need to create a Solidity smart contract for your ERC-721 token. Create a new file called Token721.sol in the contracts directory.

Here's a basic example of an ERC-721 contract:

// contracts/Token.sol
// SPDX-License-Identifier: MIT
pragma solidity ^0.8.0;

import "@openzeppelin/contracts/token/ERC721/ERC721.sol";
import "@openzeppelin/contracts/access/Ownable.sol";

contract TestNFT is ERC721, Ownable {
    constructor() ERC721("Test NFT", "NFT") {}

    function mint(address to, uint256 tokenId) public onlyOwner {
        _mint(to, tokenId);
    }
}

  • Make sure to install OpenZeppelin's ERC-721 library if you haven't already:

npm install @openzeppelin/contracts

Step 3: Configure Hardhat

In your Hardhat project, configure the deployment by modifying the hardhat.config.js file. You can specify the network, account, and other settings for deployment.

Here's an example configuration:

// hardhat.config.js
require("@nomiclabs/hardhat-waffle");
require("@nomiclabs/hardhat-ethers");
require("@nomiclabs/hardhat-etherscan");

module.exports = {
  networks: {
    // Add network configurations here (e.g., for local development, testnets, or mainnet).
    VANAR_TESTNET:{
      url: "RPC_VANAR_VANGAURD",
      accounts: ["PRIVATE_KEY_OF_THE_DEPLOYER"],
      chainId: 7860
    }
  },
  etherscan: {
    apiKey: "YOUR_ETHERSCAN_API_KEY", // Replace with your Etherscan API key
  },
  vanar: {
    apiKey: "YOUR_VANAR_API_KEY", // Replace with your VANAR API key
  }
  solidity: "0.8.0",
};

Step 4: Deploy the ERC-20 Token

Now, you can deploy your ERC-20 token using Hardhat. Create a deployment script in the scripts directory (e.g., deploy721.js) to deploy the contract:

mkdir my-erc721-token
// scripts/deploy721.js
const { ethers, upgrades } = require("hardhat");

async function main() {
  const [deployer] = await ethers.getSigners();

  console.log("Deploying TestNFT from account:", deployer.address);

  const TestNFT = await ethers.getContractFactory("TestNFT");
  const testNFT = await TestNFT.deploy();

  console.log("TestNFT deployed to:", testNFT.address);

  await testNFT.deployed();
}

main()
  .then(() => process.exit(0))
  .catch((error) => {
    console.error(error);
    process.exit(1);
  });

Step 5: Deploy the NFT Contract

Run the deployment script using Hardhat:

npx hardhat run scripts/deploy721.js --network <network_name>

Replace <network_name> with the configured VANAR network you want to deploy the token on.

That's it! You've deployed an ERC-721 token contract using Hardhat on VANAR. Make sure to test your token and handle any additional functionalities such as transfers, approvals, and more if needed.

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