Introduction

Build and deploy EVM smart contracts on Cosmos chains with full Ethereum compatibility

Smart Contract Development on Cosmos EVM

Since the introduction of Ethereum in 2015, the ability to control digital assets through smart contracts has attracted a large community of developers to build decentralized applications on the Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM). Cosmos EVM brings this powerful ecosystem to Cosmos chains with full compatibility.

Cosmos EVM is fully compatible with the EVM, allowing you to use the same tools (Solidity, Remix, Oracles) and APIs (Ethereum JSON-RPC) that are available on Ethereum.

Why Build on Cosmos EVM?

Whether you’re building new use cases on a Cosmos EVM-enabled chain or porting an existing dApp from Ethereum, you can:

• Use familiar tools - Deploy with the same Solidity contracts and development environment
• Access Cosmos features - Leverage cross-chain interoperability through IBC
• Scale your applications - Build on performant, application-specific blockchains
• Extend functionality - Use custom precompiles for staking, governance, and more

Getting Started

Build with Solidity

Develop EVM smart contracts using Solidity, the most widely used smart contract language. If you’ve deployed on Ethereum or any EVM-compatible chain, you can use the same contracts on Cosmos EVM.

• Write Your First Contract: Follow the Solidity Beginner Tutorial
• Set Up Your Tools: Use Hardhat or Foundry for your development environment
• Test and Deploy: Learn testing patterns with OpenZeppelin’s Guides
• Ensure Security: Follow OpenZeppelin’s Security Patterns

Deploy with Ethereum JSON-RPC

Cosmos EVM supports the full Ethereum JSON-RPC API, enabling you to:

• Deploy and interact with smart contracts using familiar web3 tools
• Connect existing Ethereum tooling without modifications
• Use block explorers to debug and monitor your contracts

Leverage Cosmos EVM Precompiles

Unlike standard EVM, Cosmos EVM introduces stateful precompiled contracts that can perform state transitions. These custom precompiles enable:

• Native staking operations - Stake tokens directly from smart contracts
• On-chain governance - Participate in governance through contract calls
• Cross-chain communication - Access IBC functionality programmatically
• Advanced cryptography - Use elliptic curve operations efficiently

These precompiles open up functionality that would be impossible or prohibitively expensive with regular smart contracts. View all available precompiles →

Development Workflow

1. Choose your tooling - Select from Hardhat, Foundry, or other familiar EVM development frameworks
2. Write smart contracts - Develop in Solidity with access to Cosmos-specific precompiles
3. Test thoroughly - Use existing testing frameworks with Cosmos EVM’s full compatibility
4. Deploy seamlessly - Use Ethereum JSON-RPC to deploy just like on any EVM chain
5. Monitor and iterate - Use block explorers and debugging tools to refine your dApp

Resources

• Documentation: Cosmos EVM Precompiles | Tooling Guide
• Community: Discord | Cosmos Forum
• Examples: Browse sample contracts and integration patterns in our guides

Start building cross-chain applications today with the power of EVM and the interoperability of Cosmos.