Plasma: Network setup and configuration

• Plasma is an EVM-compatible blockchain with ~1-second block times and PlasmaBFT consensus.
• Mainnet chain ID is 9745; testnet chain ID is 9746. Currency symbol is XPL.
• Configure MetaMask manually or use the Chainstack Connect wallet button for automatic injection.
• Set up Hardhat or Foundry with proper network configurations to deploy smart contracts.
• Get testnet tokens from gas.zip or through community support in Discord.

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Overview

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Prerequisites

• Chainstack account to deploy a Plasma node
• MetaMask browser extension
• Node.js 18 or later (for Hardhat)
• Foundry (optional, for Forge and Cast)

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Network parameters

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Mainnet

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Testnet

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Configure MetaMask

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Automatic setup

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Manual setup

1. Open MetaMask and click the network dropdown.
2. Click Add network > Add a network manually.
3. Enter the following values for mainnet:
   • Network name: Plasma Mainnet
   • New RPC URL: YOUR_CHAINSTACK_ENDPOINT
   • Chain ID: 9745
   • Currency symbol: XPL
   • Block explorer URL: https://plasmascan.to
4. Click Save.

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Configure Hardhat

1. Create a new project or navigate to an existing one:
   Shell

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   mkdir plasma-project && cd plasma-project
   npm init -y
   npm install --save-dev hardhat @nomicfoundation/hardhat-toolbox dotenv
   npx hardhat init
   

2. Create a .env file with your credentials:
   .env

   Copy

   CHAINSTACK_PLASMA_MAINNET=YOUR_CHAINSTACK_ENDPOINT
   CHAINSTACK_PLASMA_TESTNET=YOUR_CHAINSTACK_ENDPOINT
   PRIVATE_KEY=your_wallet_private_key
   

3. Update hardhat.config.js:
   hardhat.config.js

   Copy

   require("@nomicfoundation/hardhat-toolbox");
   require("dotenv").config();
   
   module.exports = {
     solidity: "0.8.26",
     networks: {
       plasmaMainnet: {
         url: process.env.CHAINSTACK_PLASMA_MAINNET,
         chainId: 9745,
         accounts: [process.env.PRIVATE_KEY]
       },
       plasmaTestnet: {
         url: process.env.CHAINSTACK_PLASMA_TESTNET,
         chainId: 9746,
         accounts: [process.env.PRIVATE_KEY]
       }
     },
     etherscan: {
       apiKey: {
         plasmaMainnet: "not-needed",
         plasmaTestnet: "not-needed"
       },
       customChains: [
         {
           network: "plasmaMainnet",
           chainId: 9745,
           urls: {
             apiURL: "https://plasmascan.to/api",
             browserURL: "https://plasmascan.to"
           }
         },
         {
           network: "plasmaTestnet",
           chainId: 9746,
           urls: {
             apiURL: "https://testnet.plasmascan.to/api",
             browserURL: "https://testnet.plasmascan.to"
           }
         }
       ]
     }
   };
   

4. Test the connection:
   Shell

   Hardhat console

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   npx hardhat console --network plasmaTestnet
   

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Configure Foundry

1. Install Foundry if you haven’t already:
   Shell

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   curl -L https://foundry.paradigm.xyz | bash
   foundryup
   

2. Create foundry.toml in your project root:
   foundry.toml

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   [profile.default]
   src = "src"
   out = "out"
   libs = ["lib"]
   solc = "0.8.26"
   
   [rpc_endpoints]
   plasma_mainnet = "${CHAINSTACK_PLASMA_MAINNET}"
   plasma_testnet = "${CHAINSTACK_PLASMA_TESTNET}"
   
   [etherscan]
   plasma_mainnet = { key = "", chain = 9745, url = "https://plasmascan.to/api" }
   plasma_testnet = { key = "", chain = 9746, url = "https://testnet.plasmascan.to/api" }
   

3. Test the connection using Cast:
   Shell

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   cast chain-id --rpc-url $CHAINSTACK_PLASMA_TESTNET
   

   Expected output: 9746
4. Get the latest block number:
   Shell

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   cast block-number --rpc-url $CHAINSTACK_PLASMA_TESTNET
   

​

Add network programmatically

async function addPlasmaNetwork(isTestnet = false) {
  const chainId = isTestnet ? '0x2612' : '0x2611'; // 9746 or 9745 in hex
  const networkName = isTestnet ? 'Plasma Testnet' : 'Plasma Mainnet';
  const explorerUrl = isTestnet
    ? 'https://testnet.plasmascan.to'
    : 'https://plasmascan.to';
  const rpcUrl = 'YOUR_PUBLIC_RPC_OR_CHAINSTACK_ENDPOINT';

  try {
    await window.ethereum.request({
      method: 'wallet_switchEthereumChain',
      params: [{ chainId }],
    });
  } catch (switchError) {
    if (switchError.code === 4902) {
      await window.ethereum.request({
        method: 'wallet_addEthereumChain',
        params: [{
          chainId,
          chainName: networkName,
          nativeCurrency: { name: 'XPL', symbol: 'XPL', decimals: 18 },
          rpcUrls: [rpcUrl],
          blockExplorerUrls: [explorerUrl]
        }],
      });
    }
  }
}

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Get testnet tokens

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Option 1: gas.zip faucet

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Option 2: Community support

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Verify your setup

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Check connection with curl

curl -X POST YOUR_CHAINSTACK_ENDPOINT \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"jsonrpc":"2.0","method":"eth_chainId","params":[],"id":1}'

{"jsonrpc":"2.0","id":1,"result":"0x2612"}

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Check connection with web3.py

from web3 import Web3

w3 = Web3(Web3.HTTPProvider('YOUR_CHAINSTACK_ENDPOINT'))
print(f"Connected: {w3.is_connected()}")
print(f"Chain ID: {w3.eth.chain_id}")
print(f"Latest block: {w3.eth.block_number}")

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Check connection with ethers.js

const { ethers } = require("ethers");

const provider = new ethers.JsonRpcProvider("YOUR_CHAINSTACK_ENDPOINT", {
  chainId: 9746,
  name: "plasma-testnet"
});

async function checkConnection() {
  const blockNumber = await provider.getBlockNumber();
  const network = await provider.getNetwork();
  console.log(`Chain ID: ${network.chainId}`);
  console.log(`Latest block: ${blockNumber}`);
}

checkConnection();

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Troubleshooting

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Cannot connect to RPC

• Verify the endpoint URL has no trailing slash.
• Check that your Chainstack node is running and synced.
• Confirm the URL includes your authentication credentials.

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Chain ID mismatch error

• Mainnet chain ID is 9745, testnet is 9746.
• Remove the network from MetaMask and re-add it with correct values.
• Clear MetaMask activity data: Settings > Advanced > Clear activity tab data.

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Nonce errors after switching networks

1. Open MetaMask and go to Settings > Advanced.
2. Click Clear activity tab data.
3. Check Also reset my local nonce data.
4. Confirm and retry your transaction.

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Transaction stuck as pending

• Click the pending transaction in MetaMask and select Speed up to increase gas.
• Alternatively, select Cancel to drop the transaction.
• If multiple transactions are stuck, clear activity data to reset.

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Hardhat deployment fails with verification error

1. Separate deployment from verification—deploy first, verify later.
2. Remove or comment out the verification section in your deploy script.
3. See Plasma tooling for verification commands.

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Next steps

• Deploy a contract using Hardhat or Foundry
• Monitor USDT flows with web3.py
• Explore the Plasma RPC methods reference