web3-devkit-cli

Web3 DevKit CLI

Skill by ara.so — Devtools Skills collection.

Web3 DevKit is an open-source CLI for EVM and Solana developers. It helps bootstrap projects, generate smart contracts, manage wallets, test RPCs, deploy contracts, and monitor on-chain activity across multiple blockchain networks.

Installation

npm install -g web3-devkit-cli

Or run locally in a cloned repository:

git clone https://github.com/jazzband/web3-devkit-cli.git
cd web3-devkit-cli
npm install
npm run build
npm link  # Makes 'web3' command available globally

Run without linking:

npm run web3 -- <command>

Core Commands

Project Bootstrap

Initialize new blockchain projects with curated templates:

# Interactive mode
web3 init

# Specify chain type
web3 init evm           # EVM templates (Foundry, Hardhat)
web3 init solana        # Solana templates (Anchor)
web3 init fullstack     # Full-stack with frontend + backend

Available templates:

evm-foundry - Foundry (Solidity, Forge, Cast)
evm-hardhat - Hardhat + TypeScript
solana-anchor - Anchor program workspace
nextjs-wagmi - Next.js + wagmi (EVM frontend)
nextjs-solana-wallet - Next.js + Solana wallet adapter
fullstack-evm - Foundry contracts + Next.js + API
fullstack-solana - Anchor + Next.js + API

Contract Generation

Generate smart contracts and programs from boilerplate:

# Generate ERC20 token
web3 generate token -c evm -v erc20 -n MyToken -y

# Generate ERC721 NFT
web3 generate nft -c evm -v erc721 -n MyNFT -o ./contracts -y

# Generate Solana escrow program
web3 generate vault -c solana -v escrow-anchor -n MyEscrow -y

Generation categories:

token - ERC20, SPL tokens
nft - ERC721, ERC1155, Metaplex NFTs
staking - Staking contracts/programs
vault - Escrow, vaults, safes
prediction-market - Prediction market logic

Flags:

-c, --chain - Chain type: evm or solana
-v, --variant - Template variant (e.g., erc20, erc721)
-n, --name - Contract/program name
-o, --output - Output directory (default: ./contracts)
-y, --yes - Skip confirmation prompts

Wallet Management

Create wallets, check balances, and inspect tokens:

# Create new wallet
web3 wallet create --chain evm
web3 wallet create --chain solana

# Check native balance
web3 wallet balance -n base -a 0x742d35Cc6634C0532925a3b844Bc9e7595f0bEb

# List token balances
web3 wallet tokens -n ethereum -a 0x742d35Cc6634C0532925a3b844Bc9e7595f0bEb

Supported networks:

EVM: ethereum, base, arbitrum, polygon, bsc, avalanche
Solana: mainnet-beta, devnet, testnet

RPC & Network Testing

Validate RPC connectivity and check network status:

# Test RPC endpoint
web3 rpc test -n base
web3 rpc test -n arbitrum
web3 rpc test -n solana

# Check network health
web3 network check -n ethereum

Contract Deployment

Deploy contracts and programs with gas estimation:

# Estimate deployment gas (EVM)
web3 deploy evm -n base --estimate

# Deploy to network (EVM)
web3 deploy evm -n base -y

# Deploy Solana program
web3 deploy solana -n devnet -y

# View deployment history
web3 deploy history

# Verify contract on explorer
web3 verify -n base -a 0xContractAddress -c MyToken

Deployments are stored in .web3-devkit/deployments/ with network, address, and timestamp.

Event Monitoring

Monitor on-chain activity in real-time:

# Monitor contract events
web3 monitor contract -a 0xContractAddress -e Transfer -n base

# Monitor wallet transactions
web3 monitor wallet -a 0xYourWallet -n ethereum

# Monitor specific token for wallet
web3 monitor token -a 0xTokenAddress -w 0xWalletAddress -n base

Frontend Integration

Add wallet providers and chain configurations to Next.js projects:

# Add wagmi (EVM)
web3 add wagmi -y

# Add RainbowKit
web3 add rainbowkit -y

# Add WalletConnect
web3 add wallet-connect -y

# Add Viem
web3 add viem -y

# Add Solana wallet adapter
web3 add solana-wallet -y

Configuration Management

Persist project defaults to skip repetitive flags:

# Initialize config
web3 config init

# Get configuration value
web3 config get defaultChain

# Set configuration value
web3 config set rpc.base https://mainnet.base.org
web3 config set defaultChain evm
web3 config set framework foundry

Configuration is stored in .web3-devkit/config.json:

{
  "defaultChain": "evm",
  "framework": "foundry",
  "rpc": {
    "base": "https://mainnet.base.org",
    "ethereum": "https://eth-mainnet.g.alchemy.com/v2/${ALCHEMY_API_KEY}"
  },
  "walletType": "local"
}

Common Workflows

Start a New EVM Project

# Initialize project
web3 init evm-foundry

# Generate ERC20 token
cd my-project
web3 generate token -c evm -v erc20 -n MyToken -y

# Set default network
web3 config set defaultChain evm
web3 config set rpc.base ${BASE_RPC_URL}

# Check RPC connectivity
web3 rpc test -n base

# Deploy contract
web3 deploy evm -n base -y

# Monitor token transfers
web3 monitor contract -a 0xDeployedTokenAddress -e Transfer -n base

Start a Solana Project

# Initialize Anchor project
web3 init solana-anchor

# Generate escrow program
cd my-solana-project
web3 generate vault -c solana -v escrow-anchor -n MyEscrow -y

# Create Solana wallet
web3 wallet create --chain solana

# Check wallet balance
web3 wallet balance -n devnet -a <SOLANA_WALLET_ADDRESS>

# Deploy program
web3 deploy solana -n devnet -y

Full-Stack dApp with Frontend

# Initialize full-stack project
web3 init fullstack-evm

# Generate NFT contract
cd my-fullstack-dapp
web3 generate nft -c evm -v erc721 -n MyNFT -y

# Add wagmi integration to frontend
cd frontend
web3 add wagmi -y
web3 add rainbowkit -y

# Configure network
cd ..
web3 config set rpc.base ${BASE_RPC_URL}

# Deploy and verify
web3 deploy evm -n base -y
web3 verify -n base -a 0xContractAddress -c MyNFT

Working with Environment Variables

Always use environment variables for sensitive data:

# .env file
PRIVATE_KEY=${PRIVATE_KEY}
ALCHEMY_API_KEY=${ALCHEMY_API_KEY}
ETHERSCAN_API_KEY=${ETHERSCAN_API_KEY}
BASE_RPC_URL=https://mainnet.base.org
SOLANA_RPC_URL=https://api.devnet.solana.com

Load environment variables before running commands:

source .env
web3 deploy evm -n base -y

Or inline:

BASE_RPC_URL=${BASE_RPC_URL} web3 rpc test -n base

TypeScript Integration Examples

Using Generated ERC20 Contract

After generating an ERC20 token with web3 generate token -c evm -v erc20 -n MyToken -y:

// contracts/MyToken.sol is generated
// Example interaction script

import { createPublicClient, createWalletClient, http } from 'viem';
import { base } from 'viem/chains';
import { privateKeyToAccount } from 'viem/accounts';

const account = privateKeyToAccount(`0x${process.env.PRIVATE_KEY}`);

const publicClient = createPublicClient({
  chain: base,
  transport: http(process.env.BASE_RPC_URL),
});

const walletClient = createWalletClient({
  chain: base,
  transport: http(process.env.BASE_RPC_URL),
  account,
});

// Read token balance
const balance = await publicClient.readContract({
  address: '0xTokenAddress',
  abi: MyTokenABI,
  functionName: 'balanceOf',
  args: [account.address],
});

console.log('Balance:', balance);

// Transfer tokens
const hash = await walletClient.writeContract({
  address: '0xTokenAddress',
  abi: MyTokenABI,
  functionName: 'transfer',
  args: ['0xRecipient', 1000000000000000000n],
});

console.log('Transaction hash:', hash);

Monitoring Events Programmatically

import { createPublicClient, http, parseAbiItem } from 'viem';
import { base } from 'viem/chains';

const client = createPublicClient({
  chain: base,
  transport: http(process.env.BASE_RPC_URL),
});

// Watch for Transfer events
const unwatch = client.watchEvent({
  address: '0xTokenAddress',
  event: parseAbiItem('event Transfer(address indexed from, address indexed to, uint256 value)'),
  onLogs: (logs) => {
    logs.forEach((log) => {
      console.log('Transfer detected:', {
        from: log.args.from,
        to: log.args.to,
        value: log.args.value,
      });
    });
  },
});

// Stop watching after 1 hour
setTimeout(() => unwatch(), 3600000);

Custom Deployment Script

import { execSync } from 'child_process';
import fs from 'fs';
import path from 'path';

interface DeploymentRecord {
  network: string;
  address: string;
  timestamp: string;
  deployer: string;
}

async function deployContract(network: string): Promise<void> {
  console.log(`Deploying to ${network}...`);
  
  // Run web3-devkit deploy
  const output = execSync(`web3 deploy evm -n ${network} -y`, {
    encoding: 'utf-8',
  });
  
  console.log(output);
  
  // Parse deployment address from output
  const addressMatch = output.match(/Deployed at: (0x[a-fA-F0-9]{40})/);
  if (!addressMatch) {
    throw new Error('Failed to parse deployment address');
  }
  
  const address = addressMatch[1];
  
  // Save deployment record
  const deploymentDir = path.join('.web3-devkit', 'deployments');
  const record: DeploymentRecord = {
    network,
    address,
    timestamp: new Date().toISOString(),
    deployer: process.env.DEPLOYER_ADDRESS || 'unknown',
  };
  
  fs.writeFileSync(
    path.join(deploymentDir, `${network}-latest.json`),
    JSON.stringify(record, null, 2)
  );
  
  console.log(`Deployment saved: ${address}`);
}

deployContract('base').catch(console.error);

Project Structure After Init

After running web3 init evm-foundry, you'll get:

my-project/
├── contracts/           # Solidity contracts
│   └── Counter.sol
├── script/              # Deployment scripts
│   └── Counter.s.sol
├── test/                # Forge tests
│   └── Counter.t.sol
├── .env.example
├── foundry.toml
├── README.md
└── .web3-devkit/        # DevKit metadata
    ├── config.json
    └── deployments/

After running web3 init fullstack-evm:

my-fullstack-dapp/
├── contracts/           # Smart contracts
├── frontend/            # Next.js dApp
│   ├── components/
│   ├── pages/
│   └── public/
├── backend/
│   └── api/             # API routes
├── .env.example
└── README.md

Troubleshooting

RPC Connection Fails

Problem: web3 rpc test -n base times out or fails.

Solutions:

Check your RPC URL in config: web3 config get rpc.base
Update RPC URL: web3 config set rpc.base https://mainnet.base.org
Verify network connectivity: curl -X POST ${BASE_RPC_URL} -H "Content-Type: application/json" -d '{"jsonrpc":"2.0","method":"eth_blockNumber","params":[],"id":1}'
Use environment variable: BASE_RPC_URL=${ALCHEMY_BASE_URL} web3 rpc test -n base

Deployment Gas Estimation Error

Problem: web3 deploy evm -n base --estimate fails with "insufficient funds".

Solutions:

Check wallet balance: web3 wallet balance -n base -a ${YOUR_ADDRESS}
Fund wallet with native token (ETH for Base)
Verify private key is set: echo $PRIVATE_KEY
Use lower gas limits in deployment config

Generated Contract Won't Compile

Problem: web3 generate token -c evm -v erc20 -n MyToken -y creates contract that won't compile.

Solutions:

Ensure Foundry or Hardhat is installed: forge --version or npx hardhat --version
Install dependencies: forge install or npm install
Check Solidity version compatibility in foundry.toml or hardhat.config.ts
Update imports in generated contract if needed

Monitor Command Shows No Events

Problem: web3 monitor wallet -a 0x... -n ethereum runs but shows no activity.

Solutions:

Verify wallet has activity: check on block explorer
Ensure correct network: web3 config get defaultChain
Check RPC connection: web3 rpc test -n ethereum
Increase polling interval or use WebSocket RPC if available
Monitor specific events instead: web3 monitor contract -a 0x... -e Transfer -n ethereum

Frontend Integration Not Working

Problem: web3 add wagmi -y completes but wallet doesn't connect.

Solutions:

Ensure you're in a Next.js project directory
Install peer dependencies: npm install wagmi viem @tanstack/react-query
Wrap your app with WagmiConfig in _app.tsx
Configure chains correctly in wagmi config
Check browser console for errors

Command Not Found

Problem: web3 command not recognized after installation.

Solutions:

Run npm link in the cloned repository
Use npm run web3 -- <command> if not linked
Check PATH includes npm global bin: npm config get prefix
Reinstall globally: npm install -g web3-devkit-cli

Permission Denied on Wallet Creation

Problem: web3 wallet create --chain evm fails with permission error.

Solutions:

Check directory permissions: ls -la .web3-devkit/
Create directory manually: mkdir -p .web3-devkit/wallets
Run with appropriate permissions
Store wallet files in user home directory instead

Advanced Configuration

Custom RPC Endpoints per Network

# Set custom RPC URLs
web3 config set rpc.ethereum https://eth-mainnet.g.alchemy.com/v2/${ALCHEMY_API_KEY}
web3 config set rpc.base https://base-mainnet.g.alchemy.com/v2/${ALCHEMY_API_KEY}
web3 config set rpc.arbitrum https://arb-mainnet.g.alchemy.com/v2/${ALCHEMY_API_KEY}
web3 config set rpc.solana https://api.mainnet-beta.solana.com

Multi-Chain Deployment Strategy

# Deploy to multiple networks sequentially
for network in base arbitrum polygon; do
  echo "Deploying to $network..."
  web3 deploy evm -n $network -y
  web3 verify -n $network -a $(web3 deploy history | grep $network | awk '{print $2}') -c MyToken
done

Monitoring Multiple Contracts

# Monitor multiple contracts in parallel
web3 monitor contract -a 0xToken1 -e Transfer -n base &
web3 monitor contract -a 0xToken2 -e Transfer -n base &
web3 monitor wallet -a 0xMyWallet -n base &
wait

Resources

Documentation: Check docs/ directory in repository
Templates: Browse templates/ for project scaffolds
Generators: Review generators/ for contract boilerplates
Integrations: See integrations/ for frontend wallet adapters

Requirements

Node.js 18+
npm or yarn
For EVM: Foundry or Hardhat installed
For Solana: Anchor CLI installed
Valid RPC endpoints for target networks

About this skill

Installation

Core Commands

Project Bootstrap

Contract Generation

Wallet Management

RPC & Network Testing

Contract Deployment

Event Monitoring

Frontend Integration

Configuration Management

Common Workflows

Start a New EVM Project

Start a Solana Project

Full-Stack dApp with Frontend

Working with Environment Variables

TypeScript Integration Examples

Using Generated ERC20 Contract

Monitoring Events Programmatically

Custom Deployment Script

Project Structure After Init

Troubleshooting

RPC Connection Fails

Deployment Gas Estimation Error

Generated Contract Won't Compile

Monitor Command Shows No Events

Frontend Integration Not Working

Command Not Found

Permission Denied on Wallet Creation

Advanced Configuration

Custom RPC Endpoints per Network

Multi-Chain Deployment Strategy

Monitoring Multiple Contracts

Resources

Requirements