🌐 About the project
This project marks my first practical immersion in the blockchain ecosystem. The goal was to build a complete DApp for creating and interacting with the RyCoin token, using Solidity for the smart contract, React in the frontend, Hardhat for deployment automation, and a private blockchain network with Hyperledger Besu.
RyCoin allows functionalities such as:
- Minting new tokens
- Transferring between accounts
- Viewing balance connected to wallet
- Integration with MetaMask and use of local account
📊 Architecture and operation
The DApp was divided into two main domains:
- Frontend: Developed in React with
ethers.js, responsible for connecting the user to the blockchain and displaying contract data. - Blockchain: Implemented with Solidity, running on a private network based on Besu P2P Network with multiple nodes connected via genesis.json.
The diagram below summarizes the communication architecture between components:
🛠️ How it was developed
🔹 Smart Contract
The RyCoin contract was built using OpenZeppelin as the ERC20 standard base. This ensured security and compatibility with tools like MetaMask and Hardhat. The contract allows controlled minting and transferring of tokens:
function mint(address to, uint256 amount) public {
_mint(to, amount);
}
🔹 Backend/Deploy
I used Hardhat to compile, test, and deploy the contract on a local Besu network. The deployment was fully scripted with ethers.js, and connecting to the network required manual configuration of the infrastructure (nodes, genesis file, miner, etc.).
🔹 Blockchain Network
I implemented three nodes using Hyperledger Besu. The nodes were connected in a peer-to-peer (P2P) network, simulating a decentralized private blockchain. Node1 acted as a bootnode.
🔹 Frontend React + ethers.js
The frontend was created with Vite + React + TypeScript. The integration with the contract was done with ethers.js, including connection with MetaMask, balance reading, and calls for mint and transfer.
🧠 Learnings
This project provided me with valuable learnings about the modern blockchain ecosystem:
- How the client/contract/blockchain architecture works
- Creating ERC20 tokens following best practices with OpenZeppelin
- Deployment and testing with Hardhat + Besu
- Connecting with wallets like MetaMask and interacting with the frontend via ethers.js
- Practical concepts of P2P networks, mining, and persistence with Genesis blocks
💡 Challenges faced
Some of the main challenges:
- Correctly configuring the Besu network with multiple nodes and maintaining synchronization
- Managing communication between nodes with enode and configuration files
- Debugging connection errors between frontend and contract
- Adjusting the contract and frontend for use with real wallets (MetaMask)