Deploy a new token

Learn how to deploy a new Cosmos or ERC-20 token to any EVM chain supported by Axelar.

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Example: For clarity, this article deploys the following tokens to the following EVM chains:

  • Cosmos Token: UST (Terra native token)
  • ERC-20 Token: WAVAX (Avalanche native token)
  • EVM chains: Avalanche

Substitute your own tokens and EVM chains as desired.

Repeat these instructions for each additional EVM chain.

  • Prerequisites for Controller operations
  • You will deploy smart contracts to the 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.
  • The EVM chain has been added to the network.

The initial command to register a token contract depends on whether the token being added is native to that EVM chain.

If registering a token whose native chain is different than the EVM chain being deployed to, for e.g. deploying UST (native to Terra) to Avalanche, do the following:

Terminal window
axelard tx evm create-deploy-token avalanche [native chain] [asset] [erc-20 token name] [erc-20 symbol] [decimals] [capacity] --from controller --gas auto --gas-adjustment 1.4


axelard tx evm create-deploy-token avalanche terra uusd "Axelar Wrapped UST" UST 6 0 --from controller --gas auto --gas-adjustment 1.4

If registering an ERC-20 token native to that EVM chain, for e.g. registering WAVAX on Avalanche, then it’s token contract needs to be specified, and the ERC-20 token name and symbol MUST match the value in the token contract:

Retrieve the ERC-20 info from it’s token contract. For WAVAX, it can found here.

Terminal window
axelard tx evm create-deploy-token avalanche [native chain] [asset] [erc-20 token name] [erc-20 symbol] [decimals] [capacity] --address [token contract] --from controller --gas auto --gas-adjustment 1.4


axelard tx evm create-deploy-token avalanche terra wavax-wei "Wrapped AVAX" WAVAX 18 0 --address 0xb31f66aa3c1e785363f0875a1b74e27b85fd66c7 --from controller --gas auto --gas-adjustment 1.4

Sign the above token deployment commands into a batch for the gateway. This transaction does not need controller permission---you may sign it with any account, such as your node’s validator account.

Terminal window
axelard tx evm sign-commands avalanche --from validator

Submit execute_data shown below to the gateway contract on Avalanche.

Terminal window
axelard q evm latest-batched-commands avalanche
Terminal window
axelard q evm gateway-address avalanche

Submitting this batched data is similar to the description in Send AXL to an EVM chain.

  • Note the [EVM_TOKEN_TX_HASH] for the transaction to the gateway contract.

Wait until the transaction [EVM_TOKEN_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.)

For each token call a validator vote to confirm deployment of the ERC-20 contract.

Terminal window
axelard tx evm confirm-erc20-token avalanche terra uusd [EVM_TOKEN_TX_HASH] --from controller --gas auto --gas-adjustment 1.4


axelard tx evm confirm-erc20-token avalanche avalanche wavax-wei [EVM_TOKEN_TX_HASH] --from controller --gas auto --gas-adjustment 1.4

Optional: check your logs for messages of the form token XXX deployment confirmation result on chain avalanche is true.

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