Add a new EVM chain

Learn how to add a new EVM chain to the Axelar network.

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Example: For clarity, this article targets the Avalanche EVM chain. Substitute your own EVM chain as desired.

  • Prerequisites for Controller operations
  • Axelar validators with enough stake have configured their nodes to support the new EVM chain as per Support external chains.
  • You will deploy smart contracts to the new EVM chain---you need enough native tokens to pay gas fees on that chain. Example: if deploying to Avalanche then you need AVAX tokens, etc.

Prepare a JSON file evm-chain.json with information about the new EVM chain. Examples of files that have already been used to add EVM chains to Axelar:

The params file above specifies the contract bytecode in base64 to be used for the gateway, token, and the burnable contracts. These can be obtained by compiling the appropriate version of the contracts repo.

Make Axelar aware of the new EVM chain.

Terminal window
axelard tx evm add-chain Avalanche multisig path/to/evm-chain.json --from controller

Call a validator vote to confirm new EVM chain.

Terminal window
axelard tx evm confirm-chain avalanche --from controller

Each validator votes true or false according to whether it is configured to support the new EVM chain as per Support external chains.

Optional: check your logs for messages of the form EVM chain Avalanche confirmation result is true.

Now that the new EVM chain has been added, validators need to register as maintainers for the new chain as per Support external chains.

If a large enough portion of validator stake has registered as a maintainer of the new EVM chain then that chain can be activated by a special transaction signed by the Axelar governance account. Contact the Axelar team to request such a transaction.

The new EVM chain is active but cannot be used until its gateway contract is deployed.

Generate initial validator keys for the new chain and rotate them into use.

Terminal window
axelard tx tss start-keygen --id avax-master-genesis --key-role master --from controller
axelard tx tss start-keygen --id avax-secondary-genesis --key-role secondary --from controller
axelard tx tss rotate avalanche master avax-master-genesis --from controller
axelard tx tss rotate avalanche secondary avax-secondary-genesis --from controller

Optional: verify that keys were successfully rotated.

Terminal window
axelard q evm address avalanche --key-role master
axelard q evm address avalanche --key-role secondary

Register external governance keys for the new chain.

Terminal window
       axelard tx tss register-external-keys avalanche --from controller \
       --key
       avax-external-1:03e4da05dd2c4d1a75567fff2ade93de82ccca8701689ce42da40cebd4cc7a2423
       \ --key
       avax-external-2:03dccf1720dafc44d6e47635b8f0e2705bd57346acce1f18238580461fd3c900ce
       \ --key
       avax-external-3:0383afc1b42f1dae34649ab70c4c3d67aa86db89fc1842cd697e3c2a574b433ab1
       \ --key
       avax-external-4:02ad55f4054d47a13cfe2583693bf63a8f299ca33da936f7372a38070cbf5dbc93
       \ --key
       avax-external-5:02e25f07aca8971908b7489b54d809401c34d1d5a817b521234ced5b75c056f2fd
       \ --key
       avax-external-6:023f39b9bfcead2854bab63f02880487553430a475ee0f3783c52ef98927cb37d7
       \ --key
       avax-external-7:03e78bbe19444fe98a77b45c340998437fb902572747f8e44ea99b23dc1106e0d2
       \ --key
       avax-external-8:0203ce85d1564ce9203b45ad6b93511c8daaa0927f31f3e8d53f18b51afc3f7a27
Terminal window
     axelard tx tss register-external-keys avalanche --from controller \
     --key
     avax-external-1:041bb2e070cdd8490500f673136f95d80bf4eb9ac6a85fe8fede6070515d75dfd51a7187318aeb17eb53e711a8ccc0939bbda30ac67836969b64422ef6831a6e2a
     \ --key
     avax-external-2:040626a1032fe1f76deb3b4f0cb5c68cc0e29264102111077691478d74eafcdc4c3938bb712b7d8cd15f9c72261432be19217f02e445d4caeb09d7a1abe793642e
     \ --key
     avax-external-3:04d8400ac69c6c919d6963a5da6403ba750f5d7859b0c00f1a6b9a2ce9cd663bf8a20af0351f0e6dbc7bc41040c06156d02b78f25fd6b9b54db03bd53e812b8577
     \ --key
     avax-external-4:04ee60261b7fd4084b271618cefef4f9a4093338a1dfbeae2f4a18366a53a07dd0657f31fa38c2739885fbc9ee1e83e25b3fcda6581be8f82400c7d0a18eb79070
     \ --key
     avax-external-5:04aebaae5d1c63bf527331ee9a75dbc727420f51bc557a78dd0d9a0227c42dad2d821c9a3b24ca75b558b3c333cb8e4acaa4fb174a07ebd8268c6a43b83e04ffdc
     \ --key
     avax-external-6:04900ccd93432b25f4758f8d702bfd91e6192b0931345baafa50328185300a4cd0e392398612f5394fd6026f06fa73fb42a4f43ced2fa5ef326e5d658fd90113d3
     \ --key
     avax-external-7:04761c872fd2c9c501e75ba3ef8fd65ed4d0f1e7ba60901f758b26645ee3621256a65df63f10b009f1f0e458e7cdb69737098cc30e99cf41887d7adc24c9492729
     \ --key
     avax-external-8:044202188712caa9c047caaa01eb2a97f631b5ffb0ac1e2de40609c89137d7992a07d7b6c48cb69eee0323855377582a5601008a1190ca6c2b37316c2aead28bfd

The gateway contract can now be deployed on the new EVM chain.

Get the gateway contract bytecode.

Terminal window
axelard q evm bytecode avalanche gateway-deployment

Deploy the above bytecode to a smart contract on the EVM chain.

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Tip: Deploy the gateway contract however you wish. One option is to use version 5 of MyEtherWallet with MetaMask as suggested in the video Onboarding Avalanche to the Axelar Network.

Note the following from your deployment transaction:

  • {EVM_GATEWAY_TX_HASH} transaction ID on the EVM chain
  • {EVM_GATEWAY_ADDR} address of the new gateway smart contract on the EVM chain

Wait until the transaction {EVM_GATEWAY_TX_HASH} has received enough block confirmations on the EVM chain. (This number was set in the confirmation_height in the file evm-chain.json when you executed add-chain.)

Call a validator vote to confirm gateway deployment.

Terminal window
axelard tx evm confirm-gateway-deployment avalanche {EVM_GATEWAY_TX_HASH} {EVM_GATEWAY_ADDR} --from controller

Optional: check your logs for messages of the form Avalanche gateway confirmation result is true.

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