Tutorial: Configuring pallet-revive on a Substrate node

June 1, 2025 · View on GitHub

Tutorial: Configuring pallet-revive on a Substrate node

Objectives

Teach developers how to integrate and configure pallet-revive in a Substrate-based node (such as Asset Hub) to enable live EVM debugging capabilities

This is a template for creating a parachain based on Polkadot SDK.

This template is automatically updated after releases in the main Polkadot SDK monorepo.

Building and running the custom node locally
How to add pallet-revive on runtime
Step by step how to deploy and interact solidity smart contract on PolkaVM

Building and running the custom node locally

Step 1: Install Rust

👉 Check the Rust installation instructions for your system.
🛠️ Depending on your operating system and Rust version, there might be additional packages required to compile this template - please take note of the Rust compiler output.

Step 2: Fetch parachain template code

git clone https://github.com/paritytech/polkadot-sdk-parachain-template.git

Step 3: Build the project

cargo build --release

Step 4: Install `polkadot-omni-node`

cargo install --locked polkadot-omni-node@0.5.0

Step 5: Install `staging-chain-spec-builder`

cargo install --locked staging-chain-spec-builder@10.0.0

Step 6: Use `chain-spec-builder` to generate the `chain_spec.json` file

chain-spec-builder create --relay-chain "rococo-local" --para-id 1000 --runtime \
    target/release/wbuild/parachain-template-runtime/parachain_template_runtime.wasm named-preset development

Step 7: Run Omni Node

polkadot-omni-node --chain chain_spec.json --dev --dev-block-time 1000

Step 8: Go to Polkadot Explorer JS with local node

Link: https://polkadot.js.org/apps/?rpc=ws%3A%2F%2F127.0.0.1%3A9944#/explorer

How to add pallet-revive on runtime

Step 1: Add `pallet-revive` package in `Cargo.toml`

polkadot-sdk = { workspace = true, features = [..., "pallet-revive"], default-features = false }

Reference: https://github.com/openguild-labs/substrate-revive-node/commit/2c1bd2d0966331c9f0cd9e5a2db2f0f7fbdbae25

Step 2: Add `pallet-revive` in runtime

Define pallet-revive in construct runtime

	// Revive
	#[runtime::pallet_index(60)]Add commentMore actions
	pub type Revive = pallet_revive;

Implement pallet-revive runtime for main Runtime

const ETH: u128 = 1_000_000_000_000_000_000;

pub const fn deposit(items: u32, bytes: u32) -> Balance {
	(items as Balance * UNIT + (bytes as Balance) * (5 * MILLI_UNIT / 100)) / 10
}

parameter_types! {Add commentMore actions
	pub ChainId: u64 = u32::from(crate::genesis_config_presets::PARACHAIN_ID) as u64;
	pub const DepositPerItem: Balance = deposit(1, 0);
	pub const DepositPerByte: Balance = deposit(0, 1);
	pub const DefaultDepositLimit: Balance = deposit(1024, 1024 * 1024);
	// 30 percent of storage deposit held for using a code hash.
	pub const CodeHashLockupDepositPercent: Perbill = Perbill::from_percent(30);
	pub const NativeToEthRatio: u32 = (ETH/UNIT) as u32;
}


impl pallet_revive::Config for Runtime {
	type AddressMapper = pallet_revive::AccountId32Mapper<Self>;
	// No runtime dispatchables are callable from contracts.
	type CallFilter = Nothing;
	type ChainExtension = ();
	type ChainId = ChainId;
	type CodeHashLockupDepositPercent = CodeHashLockupDepositPercent;
	type Currency = Balances;
	type DepositPerByte = DepositPerByte;
	type DepositPerItem = DepositPerItem;
	type InstantiateOrigin = EnsureSigned<Self::AccountId>;
	// 1 ETH : 1_000_000 UNIT
	type NativeToEthRatio = NativeToEthRatio;
	// 512 MB. Used in an integrity test that verifies the runtime has enough memory.
	type PVFMemory = ConstU32<{ 512 * 1024 * 1024 }>;
	type RuntimeCall = RuntimeCall;
	type RuntimeEvent = RuntimeEvent;
	type RuntimeHoldReason = RuntimeHoldReason;
	// 128 MB. Used in an integrity that verifies the runtime has enough memory.
	type RuntimeMemory = ConstU32<{ 128 * 1024 * 1024 }>;
	type Time = Timestamp;
	// Disables access to unsafe host fns such as xcm_send.
	type UnsafeUnstableInterface = ConstBool<false>;
	type UploadOrigin = EnsureSigned<Self::AccountId>;
	type WeightInfo = pallet_revive::weights::SubstrateWeight<Self>;
	type WeightPrice = TransactionPayment;
	type Xcm = ();
	type EthGasEncoder = ();
    type FindAuthor = <Runtime as pallet_authorship::Config>::FindAuthor;
}

impl TryFrom<RuntimeCall> for pallet_revive::Call<Runtime> {
	type Error = ();

	fn try_from(value: RuntimeCall) -> Result<Self, Self::Error> {
		match value {
			RuntimeCall::Revive(call) => Ok(call),
			_ => Err(()),
		}
	}
}

Reference: https://github.com/openguild-labs/substrate-revive-node/commit/f6a0b5feb8516f0a8061e692b367ed0cb46e500a

Step 3: Convert `eth` transaction to extrinsic substrate type

/// EthExtra converts an unsigned Call::eth_transact into a CheckedExtrinsic.
#[derive(Clone, PartialEq, Eq, Debug)]
pub struct EthExtraImpl;

impl pallet_revive::evm::runtime::EthExtra for EthExtraImpl {
    type Config = Runtime;
    type Extension = TxExtension;

    fn get_eth_extension(nonce: u32, tip: Balance) -> Self::Extension {
        (
            frame_system::CheckNonZeroSender::<Runtime>::new(),
            frame_system::CheckSpecVersion::<Runtime>::new(),
            frame_system::CheckTxVersion::<Runtime>::new(),
            frame_system::CheckGenesis::<Runtime>::new(),
            frame_system::CheckMortality::from(generic::Era::Immortal),
            frame_system::CheckNonce::<Runtime>::from(nonce),
            frame_system::CheckWeight::<Runtime>::new(),
            pallet_transaction_payment::ChargeTransactionPayment::<Runtime>::from(tip),
            frame_metadata_hash_extension::CheckMetadataHash::<Runtime>::new(false),
        )
            .into()
    }
}

/// Unchecked extrinsic type as expected by this runtime.
pub type UncheckedExtrinsic =
    pallet_revive::evm::runtime::UncheckedExtrinsic<Address, Signature, EthExtraImpl>;

NOTE: Unchecked Extrinsic : these are signed transactions that require some validation check before they can be accepted in the transaction pool. Any unchecked extrinsic contains the signature for the data being sent plus some extra data.

Reference: https://github.com/openguild-labs/substrate-revive-node/commit/59dcf99b2c8328d661d7fa84ab863e5a09a71965

Step 4: Add revive runtime API

Get evm balance
Get block gas limit
Get gas price
Get nonce
eth_transact
call
instantiate
Upload code
Get on-chain storage
Trace

Reference: https://github.com/openguild-labs/substrate-revive-node/commit/328bdf3b79b691de0e12da72270379097592b686

Step 5: Fix bug

Reference : https://github.com/openguild-labs/substrate-revive-node/commit/72ccd3bdba2d6ef8469e057e275b9df8bdcb98e2

Step by step how to deploy and interact solidity smart contract on PolkaVM

Step 1: Install `revive-eth-rpc`

cargo install pallet-revive-eth-rpc@0.4.0

Step 2: Run `substrate-revive-node` and `revive-eth-rpc` in dev mode

polkadot-omni-node --chain chain_spec.json --dev -lruntime::revive=debug --dev-block-time 1000

./eth-rpc --dev

Step 3: Check RPC

curl -X POST http://127.0.0.1:8545 \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "jsonrpc":"2.0",
    "method":"eth_getBlockByNumber",
    "params":["latest", false],
    "id":1
  }'

Result:

{"jsonrpc":"2.0","id":1,"result":{"baseFeePerGas":"0x3e8","difficulty":"0x0","extraData":"0x","gasLimit":"0xab87c85a2e8","gasUsed":"0x0","hash":"0x79ff71b978bab8f2e4cd3d6d3e8163d8869427d7d5061846f38c0cc3a67bb453","logsBloom":"0x00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000","miner":"0x0000000000000000000000000000000000000000","mixHash":"0x0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000","nonce":"0x0000000000000000","number":"0x3b9","parentHash":"0x33c1cdc034d00f814119c3fd2f10e5a31b2b8e7aec6d5689739cd3a3d9e0982f","receiptsRoot":"0x4a9a161b4ff8849269a6a75e08fbbbbc0ca80eede262c8bf035bdbfe6dc5749a","sha3Uncles":"0x0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000","size":"0x0","stateRoot":"0x45145e2f329608888ec06ea39fcecade07ee59903060e65290698e0e9df4e4a7","timestamp":"0x0","transactions":[],"transactionsRoot":"0x4a9a161b4ff8849269a6a75e08fbbbbc0ca80eede262c8bf035bdbfe6dc5749a","uncles":[]}}

Step 4: Add local network in metamask

Properties	Network Details
Network name	Substrate Node Revive
RPC	http://127.0.0.1:8545
Chain ID	1000
Symbol	REVIVE

Step 5: Mapping Substrate's Account to ETH account

Go to Polkadot JS Explorer -> Developer -> Choose Revive pallet -> Choose mapAccount extrinsic

NOTE: Alice's Substrate PrivateKey ( dev purpose) : 0xe5be9a5092b81bca64be81d212e7f2f9eba183bb7a90954f7b76361f6edb5c0a

Step 6: Transfer funds to ETH Account using Polkadot JS explorer

Go to Polkadot JS Explorer -> Developer -> Choose Revive pallet -> Choose call extrinsic

Params	Value
dest	Is your ETH address
value	1000000000000000(1000 REVIVE)
storageDepositLimit	1000000000000000
data	0x

Step 7: Deploy simple smart contract using Remix Polkadot

Link: https://remix.polkadot.io/#lang=en&optimize=false&runs=200&evmVersion=null&version=soljson-v0.8.28+commit.7893614a-revive-0.1.0-dev.12.js