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DevChain

Nethereum DevChain is a local Ethereum development chain that runs inside your application. No Docker, no external processes — just add the NuGet package and start writing tests or building your app.

Built on Chain Infrastructure (CoreChain), DevChain adds instant mining, SQLite storage, funded accounts, and full compatibility with Hardhat and Anvil development methods.

Quick Start​

dotnet add package Nethereum.DevChain
using Nethereum.DevChain;
using Nethereum.Web3.Accounts;

var account = new Account("0xb5b1870957d373ef0eeffecc6e4812c0fd08f554b37b233526acc331bf1544f7");
var devChain = new DevChainNode();
await devChain.StartAsync(account);

var web3 = devChain.CreateWeb3(account);
var balance = await web3.Eth.GetBalance.SendRequestAsync(account.Address);

Configuration​

var config = new DevChainConfig
{
    ChainId = 1337,
    BlockGasLimit = 30_000_000,
    AutoMine = true,
    InitialBalance = BigInteger.Parse("10000000000000000000000")
};

var devChain = new DevChainNode(config);
await devChain.StartAsync(account);

Factory Methods​

var devChain = await DevChainNode.CreateAndStartAsync(account);
var devChain = DevChainNode.CreateInMemory();

Features​

Snapshots and Revert​

var snapshot = await devChain.TakeSnapshotAsync();
// ... do transactions ...
await devChain.RevertToSnapshotAsync(snapshot);

Hardhat / Anvil Compatibility​

DevChain supports standard development methods:

  • evm_mine, evm_snapshot, evm_revert
  • evm_increaseTime, evm_setNextBlockTimestamp
  • hardhat_setBalance, hardhat_setCode, hardhat_setNonce, hardhat_setStorageAt

Forking​

Fork state from a live Ethereum network for local testing against real data.

Full EVM​

Complete EVM execution up to Prague hardfork, including debug_traceTransaction and debug_traceCall.

HTTP Server​

Expose DevChain as an HTTP endpoint for MetaMask, Foundry, Hardhat, or any Ethereum tool:

dotnet add package Nethereum.DevChain.Server

Aspire Template​

Get a complete dev environment with one command:

dotnet new install Nethereum.Aspire.TemplatePack
dotnet new nethereum-devchain -n MyChain
cd MyChain/AppHost && dotnet run

This creates an Aspire-orchestrated environment with:

  • DevChain node — in-process Ethereum node with prefunded accounts
  • PostgreSQL — database for blockchain data storage
  • Blockchain indexer — crawls and stores blocks, transactions, and logs
  • Blazor explorer — web-based blockchain explorer with ABI-decoded contract interaction
  • Account abstraction bundler — ERC-4337 UserOperation bundler
  • Load test generator — automated transaction load testing

Packages​

PackageDescription
Nethereum.DevChainDevelopment chain with auto-mine, SQLite storage, and funded accounts
Nethereum.DevChain.ServerHTTP server wrapper for external tool access