Overview

Precompiles are predefined functions that are integrated at the protocol level but exposed as EVM smart contract interfaces. Many precompiles provide access to Cosmos SDK module functionality for EVM applications and clients to easily leverage.

Available Precompiles

Precompile	Address	Purpose	Reference
P256	0x0000000000000000000000000000000000000100	P-256 elliptic curve cryptographic operations	Details
Bech32	0x0000000000000000000000000000000000000400	Address format conversion between Ethereum hex and Cosmos bech32	Details
Staking	0x0000000000000000000000000000000000000800	Validator operations, delegation, and staking rewards	Details
Distribution	0x0000000000000000000000000000000000000801	Staking rewards and community pool management	Details
ICS20	0x0000000000000000000000000000000000000802	Cross-chain token transfers via IBC	Details
Vesting	0x0000000000000000000000000000000000000803	Vesting account creation and management	Coming Soon
Bank	0x0000000000000000000000000000000000000804	ERC20-style access to native Cosmos SDK tokens	Details
Governance	0x0000000000000000000000000000000000000805	On-chain governance proposals and voting	Details
Slashing	0x0000000000000000000000000000000000000806	Validator slashing and jail management	Details
ERC20	Dynamic per token	Standard ERC20 functionality for native Cosmos tokens	Details
WERC20	Dynamic per token	Wrapped native token functionality	Details

Configuration

Precompiled contracts provide direct, gas-efficient access to native Cosmos SDK functionality from within the EVM. Build powerful hybrid applications that leverage the best of both worlds. This page provides an overview of the available precompiled contracts, each with detailed documentation on its usage, Solidity interface, and ABI.

Critical: Understanding Token Decimals in Precompiles

All Cosmos EVM precompile contracts use the native chain’s decimal precision, not Ethereum’s standard 18 decimals (wei).

Why this matters:

• Cosmos chains typically use 6 decimals, while Ethereum uses 18
• Passing values while assuming conventional Ethereum exponents could cause significant miscalculations
• Example: On a 6-decimal chain, passing 1000000000000000000 (1 token in wei) will be interpreted as 1 trillion tokens

Before using any precompile:

1. Check your chain’s native token decimal precision
2. Convert amounts to match the native token’s format
3. Never assume 18-decimal precision

// WRONG: Assuming Ethereum's 18 decimals
uint256 amount = 1 ether; // 1000000000000000000
staking.delegate(validator, amount); // Delegates 1 trillion tokens!

// CORRECT: Using chain's native 6 decimals
uint256 amount = 1000000; // 1 token with 6 decimals
staking.delegate(validator, amount); // Delegates 1 token

Genesis Configuration

Precompiles must be enabled in the genesis file to be available on the network. The active_static_precompiles parameter controls which precompiles are activated at network launch.

{
  "app_state": {
    "vm": {
      "params": {
        "active_static_precompiles": [
          "0x0000000000000000000000000000000000000100",  // P256
          "0x0000000000000000000000000000000000000400",  // Bech32
          "0x0000000000000000000000000000000000000800",  // Staking
          "0x0000000000000000000000000000000000000801",  // Distribution
          "0x0000000000000000000000000000000000000802",  // ICS20
          "0x0000000000000000000000000000000000000803",  // Vesting
          "0x0000000000000000000000000000000000000804",  // Bank
          "0x0000000000000000000000000000000000000805",  // Governance
          "0x0000000000000000000000000000000000000806"   // Slashing
        ]
      }
    }
  }
}

For complete genesis configuration including EVM and fee market parameters, see the Node Configuration reference.

v0.5.0 Breaking Changes

Precompile Constructor Interface Changes

All precompile constructors in v0.5.0 now require keeper interfaces instead of concrete keeper implementations. This improves decoupling and testability but requires updates to custom precompile implementations.

Interface Requirements

Before (v0.4.x):

// Concrete keeper types required
bankPrecompile, err := bankprecompile.NewPrecompile(
    bankKeeper,      // bankkeeper.Keeper concrete type
    stakingKeeper,   // stakingkeeper.Keeper concrete type
    // ... other keepers
)

After (v0.5.0):

// Keeper interfaces required (parameters accept interfaces directly)
bankPrecompile, err := bankprecompile.NewPrecompile(
    bankKeeper,    // common.BankKeeper interface
    erc20Keeper,   // erc20keeper.Keeper interface
)

Source: evmd/precompiles.go:122

Required Interfaces

The following keeper interfaces are defined in precompiles/common/interfaces.go:

• BankKeeper: Account balances, token transfers, metadata
• StakingKeeper: Validator operations, delegations, bond denom
• DistributionKeeper: Reward withdrawals and distribution
• SlashingKeeper: Validator slashing information
• TransferKeeper: IBC transfer operations
• ChannelKeeper: IBC channel and connection queries
• ERC20Keeper: Token pair mappings and conversions

Migration Example

Custom Precompile Migration:

// Before (v0.4.x)
func NewCustomPrecompile(
    bankKeeper bankkeeper.Keeper,
    stakingKeeper stakingkeeper.Keeper,
) (*CustomPrecompile, error) {
    return &CustomPrecompile{
        bankKeeper:    bankKeeper,
        stakingKeeper: stakingKeeper,
    }, nil
}

// After (v0.5.0)
func NewCustomPrecompile(
    bankKeeper common.BankKeeper,        // Interface instead of concrete type
    stakingKeeper common.StakingKeeper,  // Interface instead of concrete type
) (*CustomPrecompile, error) {
    return &CustomPrecompile{
        bankKeeper:    bankKeeper,
        stakingKeeper: stakingKeeper,
    }, nil
}

Assembly Updates:

// In your precompile assembly function (based on evmd/precompiles.go)
func NewAvailableStaticPrecompiles(
    stakingKeeper stakingkeeper.Keeper,
    distributionKeeper distributionkeeper.Keeper,
    bankKeeper cmn.BankKeeper,              // Already interface type
    erc20Keeper erc20keeper.Keeper,
    // ... other keeper interfaces
    opts ...Option,
) map[common.Address]vm.PrecompiledContract {
    precompiles := make(map[common.Address]vm.PrecompiledContract)

    // No casting needed - parameters are already interface types
    bankPrecompile, err := bankprecompile.NewPrecompile(bankKeeper, erc20Keeper)
    if err != nil {
        panic(fmt.Errorf("failed to instantiate bank precompile: %w", err))
    }
    precompiles[bankPrecompile.Address()] = bankPrecompile
)
if err != nil {
    return nil, err
}
precompiles[bankAddress] = bankPrecompile

Integration Guide

Activation

Precompiles must be explicitly activated via the active_static_precompiles parameter:

# Via genesis configuration
{
  "active_static_precompiles": [
    "0x0000000000000000000000000000000000000804", // Bank
    "0x0000000000000000000000000000000000000800"  // Staking
  ]
}

# Via governance proposal
evmd tx gov submit-proposal param-change-proposal.json --from validator

Usage in Smart Contracts

// Import precompile interfaces
import "./IBank.sol";
import "./IStaking.sol";

contract MyDApp {
    IBank constant bank = IBank(0x0000000000000000000000000000000000000804);
    IStaking constant staking = IStaking(0x0000000000000000000000000000000000000800);

    function getBalance(string memory denom) external view returns (uint256) {
        return bank.balances(msg.sender, denom);
    }

    function delegateTokens(string memory validatorAddr, uint256 amount) external {
        staking.delegate(msg.sender, validatorAddr, amount);
    }
}

Testing

All precompiles include comprehensive Solidity test suites for validation:

# Run precompile tests
cd tests && npm test

# Test specific precompile
npx hardhat test test/Bank.test.js