---
title: Use Hardhat with Polkadot Hub
description: Learn how to set up, configure, and use Hardhat Polkadot to create, compile, test, and deploy Solidity smart contracts on Polkadot Hub using the PVM runtime.
categories:
- Smart Contracts
- Tooling
url: https://docs.polkadot.com/smart-contracts/dev-environments/hardhat-polkadot/
word_count: 1277
token_estimate: 2253
version_hash: sha256:c0fd7a4f91b714ace9399ee3e161ec41b30cdd20b187060bacea2fc2c8a22489
last_updated: '2026-06-04T16:08:37+00:00'
---
# Hardhat Polkadot
## Introduction
[Hardhat](https://hardhat.org/) is a flexible development environment for building, testing, and deploying smart contracts. With the [`@parity/hardhat-polkadot`](https://github.com/paritytech/hardhat-polkadot) plugin, you can compile Solidity contracts to PVM bytecode and deploy them to Polkadot Hub. This page demonstrates how to set up a Hardhat project for PVM development.
## Prerequisites
Before setting up Hardhat, make sure the following are installed:
- [Node.js](https://nodejs.org/) version 22.5+ and [npm](https://www.npmjs.com/) version 10.9.0+ to avoid issues with the Polkadot plugin
- A package manager like npm, [pnpm](https://pnpm.io/), or [yarn](https://yarnpkg.com/)
## Initialize a Hardhat Project
1. Create a directory to hold your project files:
```bash
mkdir hardhat-pvm-example
cd hardhat-pvm-example
```
2. Initialize a new npm project:
```bash
npm init -y
```
3. Install the Polkadot plugin for Hardhat:
```bash
npm install --save-dev @parity/hardhat-polkadot@0.2.7
```
4. Install the resolc compiler (required for compiling Solidity to PVM):
```bash
npm install --save-dev @parity/resolc@1.1.0
```
5. Initialize a Hardhat project:
```bash
npx hardhat-polkadot init
```
Follow the project creation wizard. Your project will be created with three main folders:
- **`contracts`**: Stores your Solidity smart contracts.
- **`ignition`**: Contains deployment modules for safely deploying your contracts to various networks.
- **`test`**: Contains test files that validate contract functionality.
6. Add the following folder to the `.gitignore` file if it is not already there:
```bash
echo '/ignition/deployments/' >> .gitignore
```
7. Complete the setup by installing all dependencies:
```bash
npm install
```
## Compile Your Contract
The plugin will compile your Solidity contracts (version `0.8.0` and higher) to PVM bytecode using the resolc compiler:
```bash
npx hardhat compile
```
After successful compilation, you'll see the artifacts generated in the `artifacts` directory:
```bash
ls artifacts/contracts/*.sol/
```
You should see JSON files containing the contract ABIs and bytecodes for the contracts you compiled.
## Test Your Contract Locally
Hardhat provides a local testing environment through the `hardhat-polkadot` plugin, which spins up a local Substrate node with an ETH-RPC adapter.
### Start a Local Node
To obtain the `dev-node` and `eth-rpc` binaries, check this [release](https://github.com/paritytech/hardhat-polkadot/releases/tag/nodes-19071579107) and download the binaries for your platform, then update the paths in your config.
!!! note
You might need to give executable permissions to the binaries:
```bash
chmod +x /path/to/your/binary
```
In macOS environments, binaries are sometimes quarantined. To remove this, run:
```bash
xattr -d com.apple.quarantine /path/to/your/binary
```
Once you have set up the binaries, start your local testing node:
```bash
npx hardhat node
```
This command launches a local node with the ETH-RPC adapter. By default, the Substrate node runs on `localhost:8000`, and the ETH-RPC adapter on `localhost:8545`.
The output will be something like this:
npx hardhat node
Starting server at 127.0.0.1:8000
../bin/substrate-node --rpc-port=8000 --dev
Starting the Eth RPC Adapter at 127.0.0.1:8545
../bin/eth-rpc --node-rpc-url=ws://localhost:8000 --dev
2025-05-29 13:00:32 Running in --dev mode, RPC CORS has been disabled.
2025-05-29 13:00:32 Running in --dev mode, RPC CORS has been disabled.
2025-05-29 13:00:32 🌐 Connecting to node at: ws://localhost:8000 ...
2025-05-29 13:00:32 Substrate Node
2025-05-29 13:00:32 ✌️ version 3.0.0-dev-f73c228b7a1
2025-05-29 13:00:32 ❤️ by Parity Technologies <admin@parity.io>, 2017-2025
2025-05-29 13:00:32 📋 Chain specification: Development
2025-05-29 13:00:32 🏷 Node name: electric-activity-4221
2025-05-29 13:00:32 👤 Role: AUTHORITY
2025-05-29 13:00:32 💾 Database: RocksDb at /var/folders/f4/7rdt2m9d7j361dm453cpggbm0000gn/T/substrateOaoecu/chains/dev/db/full
2025-05-29 13:00:36 [0] 💸 generated 1 npos voters, 1 from validators and 0 nominators
...
### Run Tests
To run your contract tests:
```bash
npx hardhat test
```
!!! warning "Compatibility Note"
Be aware that [`@nomicfoundation/hardhat-toolbox/network-helpers`](https://hardhat.org/hardhat-network-helpers/docs/overview) is not fully compatible with Polkadot Hub's available RPCs. Specifically, helpers like `time` and `loadFixture` may not work due to missing RPC calls in the node. For a broader overview of how Ethereum-native tools differ when used against Polkadot EVM networks, see [Differences between Ethereum-native tools and Polkadot EVM networks](/smart-contracts/get-started/#differences-between-ethereum-native-tools-and-polkadot-evm-networks). For plugin-specific details, refer to the [Compatibility](https://github.com/paritytech/hardhat-polkadot/tree/main/packages/hardhat-polkadot-node#compatibility) section in the `hardhat-polkadot` documentation.
### Deploy to Local Node
Before deploying to a live network, you can deploy your contract to a local node using [Ignition](https://hardhat.org/ignition/docs/getting-started#overview) modules:
1. Ensure your local node is running:
```bash
npx hardhat node
```
2. In a new terminal window, deploy the contract using Ignition:
```bash
npx hardhat ignition deploy ./ignition/modules/MyToken.js --network localNode
```
!!! tip
The `ignition.requiredConfirmations: 1` setting in your config ensures that deployment doesn't hang on local nodes that only produce blocks when transactions are submitted.
## Deploy to Polkadot Hub TestNet
After testing locally, you can deploy to the Polkadot Hub TestNet:
1. Fund your deployment account with PAS test tokens from the [Polkadot faucet](https://faucet.polkadot.io/).
2. Set your private key as a configuration variable:
```bash
npx hardhat vars set PRIVATE_KEY
```
!!! warning
Never reveal your private key. Anyone with access to it can control your wallet and steal your funds. Store it securely and never share it publicly or commit it to version control systems.
3. Verify your private key is set:
```bash
npx hardhat vars get PRIVATE_KEY
```
4. Deploy your contract:
```bash
npx hardhat ignition deploy ./ignition/modules/MyToken.js --network polkadotTestnet
```
### Common Issues
- **Compilation fails with resolc errors**: Ensure you have `@parity/resolc@1.1.0` installed and the version is specified in your `hardhat.config.js`
- **Deployment hangs on local node**: You might need to set `ignition.requiredConfirmations: 1` in your config file
- **Binary permission issues**: Run `chmod +x /path/to/your/binary` and on macOS, use `xattr -d com.apple.quarantine /path/to/your/binary`
## Where to Go Next
- Guide __Deploy a Basic Contract__
---
Ready to start using Hardhat with PVM? Learn how to compile, test, and deploy a basic contract.
[:octicons-arrow-right-24: Get Started](/smart-contracts/cookbook/smart-contracts/deploy-basic/basic-hardhat/)
- Guide __Deploy an ERC-20__
---
Walk through deploying a fully-functional ERC-20 to Polkadot Hub using Hardhat.
[:octicons-arrow-right-24: Get Started](/smart-contracts/cookbook/smart-contracts/deploy-erc20/erc20-hardhat/)
- External __Hardhat Documentation__
---
Learn more about Hardhat's advanced features and best practices.
[:octicons-arrow-right-24: Get Started](https://hardhat.org/docs)
- External __Hardhat Polkadot Plugin__
---
Explore the full capabilities of the Hardhat Polkadot plugin.
[:octicons-arrow-right-24: Get Started](https://github.com/paritytech/hardhat-polkadot)