Deploying a Vyper Smart Contract to RootStock (RSK) Testnet using Python

This guide demonstrates how to deploy smart contracts written in Vyper to the RootStock (RSK) testnet using Python and Web3.py. RSK is a groundbreaking smart contract platform that's merge-mined with Bitcoin, offering unique advantages for developers:

• Bitcoin Compatibility: Deploy smart contracts while leveraging Bitcoin's security and network effects
• EVM Compatibility: Use familiar Ethereum tools and practices while building on Bitcoin
• Lower Fees: Benefit from RSK's cost-effective transaction fees
• Scalability: Enjoy higher transaction throughput compared to the Bitcoin mainnet

We'll walk through creating a simple Vyper contract and deploying it to RSK's testnet, covering everything from environment setup to handling RSK-specific configurations. Whether you're an experienced Ethereum developer looking to expand to Bitcoin-based smart contracts, or just starting your blockchain journey, this guide will help you get up and running with RSK.

Prerequisites

• uv
  • You'll know you've done it right if you can run uv --version and see a version number.
• git
  • You'll know you've done it right if you can run git --version and see a version number.
  • Helpful shortcut:

# For bash
echo "source $HOME/.bashrc >> $HOME/.bash_profile"

# For zsh
echo "source $HOME/.zshenv >> $HOME/.zprofile"

• Python 3.x
• A text editor
• Basic understanding of smart contracts and Python
• RSK testnet RBTC (will show you how to get this)

Installation

git clone https://github.com/EdwinLiavaa/Web3py-Vyper-RootStock.git
cd Web3py-Vyper-RootStock

uv

uv sync

pip/python

python -m venv ./venv
source ./venv/bin/activate
pip install -r requirements.txt

Quickstart

uv run hello.py # for UV
# or
python hello.py # for pip/python

Setup Environment

First, let's set up our Python environment and install the necessary packages:

# Create and activate virtual environment
python3 -m venv .venv
source .venv/bin/activate

# Install required packages
pip install python-dotenv web3 vyper

Configuration

Create a .env file in your project root with your configuration:

RPC_URL="https://rpc.testnet.rootstock.io/[YOUR-API-KEY]"
PRIVATE_KEY="your-private-key"  # Never commit your real private key!
MY_ADDRESS="your-wallet-address"

THIS IS ONLY FOR TESTING - TYPICALLY YOU SHOULD NEVER SHARE YOUR PRIVATE KEY.

Get Testnet RBTC

Before deploying, you'll need some testnet RBTC:

1. Go to the RSK faucet: https://faucet.rsk.co/
2. Enter your wallet address
3. Complete the captcha and request funds
4. Wait a few minutes for the transaction to be confirmed

The Smart Contract

Here's our simple Vyper contract (favorites.vy):

# @version ^0.3.7

favorite_number: public(uint256)
owner: public(address)

@external
def __init__():
    self.owner = msg.sender
    self.favorite_number = 0

@external
def store(new_number: uint256):
    self.favorite_number = new_number

Deployment Script

Here's our Python script to deploy the contract (deploy_favorites_unsafe.py):

from web3 import Web3
from dotenv import load_dotenv
from vyper import compile_code
import os

load_dotenv()

RPC_URL = os.getenv("RPC_URL")

def main():
    print("Let's read in the Vyper code and deploy it to the blockchain!")
    w3 = Web3(Web3.HTTPProvider(RPC_URL))
    with open("favorites.vy", "r") as favorites_file:
        favorites_code = favorites_file.read()
        compliation_details = compile_code(
            favorites_code, output_formats=["bytecode", "abi"]
        )

    chain_id = 31  # RSK testnet chain ID

    print("Getting environment variables...")
    my_address = os.getenv("MY_ADDRESS")
    private_key = os.getenv("PRIVATE_KEY")

    # Check balance before deployment
    balance = w3.eth.get_balance(my_address)
    balance_in_rbtc = w3.from_wei(balance, "ether")
    print(f"Account balance: {balance_in_rbtc} RBTC")

    if balance == 0:
        print("Your account has no RBTC! Please get some testnet RBTC from the faucet:")
        print("1. Go to https://faucet.rsk.co/")
        print("2. Enter your address:", my_address)
        print("3. Complete the captcha and request funds")
        print("4. Wait a few minutes for the transaction to be confirmed")
        return

    # Create the contract in Python
    favorites_contract = w3.eth.contract(
        abi=compliation_details["abi"], bytecode=compliation_details["bytecode"]
    )

    # Submit the transaction that deploys the contract
    nonce = w3.eth.get_transaction_count(my_address)

    print("Building the transaction...")
    transaction = favorites_contract.constructor().build_transaction(
        {
            "chainId": chain_id,
            "from": my_address,
            "nonce": nonce,
            "gas": 3000000,  # Higher gas limit for RSK
            "gasPrice": w3.eth.gas_price * 2,  # Double the gas price to ensure transaction goes through
        }
    )

    print("Signing transaction...")
    signed_txn = w3.eth.account.sign_transaction(transaction, private_key=private_key)
    print("Deploying contract...")
    tx_hash = w3.eth.send_raw_transaction(signed_txn.rawTransaction)
    tx_receipt = w3.eth.wait_for_transaction_receipt(tx_hash)
    print(f"Contract deployed! Address: {tx_receipt.contractAddress}")

if __name__ == "__main__":
    main()

Key Points About RSK Deployment

1. Chain ID: RSK testnet uses chain ID 31
2. Gas Settings:
   • We use a higher gas limit (3,000,000) for RSK
   • We double the gas price to ensure the transaction goes through
3. Transaction Type:
   • RSK works best with legacy transactions (using gasPrice instead of EIP-1559 parameters)

Running the Deployment

Execute the deployment script:

python deploy_favorites_unsafe.py

Useful Links

The boilerplate used in this project was adopted from the Cyfrin Updraft Python and Viper Starter Kit:

• Cyfrin Updraft @cyfrinupdraft