Proxy Contract Deployment with OpenZeppelin, Hardhat, and Alchemy

This guide will walk you through deploying a proxy contract using OpenZeppelin's upgradeable contract framework with Hardhat on the Ethereum Sepolia network. We will use Alchemy for connecting to the network.

Prerequisites

Ensure you have the following installed:

• Node.js
• npm
• Hardhat
• An Alchemy account and API key
• An Ethereum wallet and private key (e.g., MetaMask)
• An Etherscan API key for contract verification

Project Setup

1. Initialize Your Project

   mkdir my-upgradeable-contract
   cd my-upgradeable-contract
   npm install

2. Create the .env File

   Create a file named .env in the root of your project and add the following content:

   ALCHEMY_API_KEY=your-alchemy-api-key
   PRIVATE_KEY=your-ethereum-wallet-private-key
   ETHERSCAN_API_KEY=your-etherscan-api-key
   

   Replace the placeholders with your actual keys.

Deployment Steps

1. Deploy the Initial Version

   Run the following command to deploy the initial version of your contract:

   npx hardhat run --network sepolia ./scripts/deploy_box_v1.js

   After running this script, note the contract addresses from the output.

2. Verify the Contract on Etherscan

   Verify the proxy contract on Etherscan with:

   npx hardhat verify --network sepolia <YOUR_PROXY_CONTRACT_ADDRESS>

3. Upgrade to the New Version

   To upgrade to the new version of your contract, run:

   npx hardhat run --network sepolia ./scripts/upgrade_box_v2.js