Agent skill

alchemy-local-dev-loop

Set up local Web3 development workflow with Alchemy, Hardhat, and testnets. Use when configuring local blockchain dev, testing with Sepolia faucets, or setting up hot-reload for smart contract development. Trigger: "alchemy local dev", "alchemy hardhat", "alchemy testnet setup".

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Forks 241

Install this agent skill to your Project

npx add-skill https://github.com/jeremylongshore/claude-code-plugins-plus-skills/tree/main/plugins/saas-packs/alchemy-pack/skills/alchemy-local-dev-loop

SKILL.md

Alchemy Local Dev Loop

Overview

Local Web3 development workflow using Alchemy as the RPC provider with Hardhat for local testing, Sepolia testnet for staging, and hot-reload for rapid iteration.

Prerequisites

  • Completed alchemy-install-auth setup
  • Node.js 18+
  • Alchemy API key with Sepolia testnet app

Instructions

Step 1: Initialize Hardhat Project with Alchemy

bash
mkdir web3-project && cd web3-project
npm init -y
npm install --save-dev hardhat @nomicfoundation/hardhat-toolbox
npm install alchemy-sdk dotenv
npx hardhat init  # Select TypeScript project

Step 2: Configure Hardhat with Alchemy RPC

typescript
// hardhat.config.ts
import { HardhatUserConfig } from 'hardhat/config';
import '@nomicfoundation/hardhat-toolbox';
import 'dotenv/config';

const config: HardhatUserConfig = {
  solidity: '0.8.24',
  networks: {
    hardhat: {
      forking: {
        url: `https://eth-mainnet.g.alchemy.com/v2/${process.env.ALCHEMY_API_KEY}`,
        blockNumber: 19000000,  // Pin block for reproducible tests
      },
    },
    sepolia: {
      url: `https://eth-sepolia.g.alchemy.com/v2/${process.env.ALCHEMY_API_KEY}`,
      accounts: process.env.DEPLOYER_PRIVATE_KEY ? [process.env.DEPLOYER_PRIVATE_KEY] : [],
    },
  },
};

export default config;

Step 3: Alchemy-Powered Test Helper

typescript
// test/helpers/alchemy-helper.ts
import { Alchemy, Network } from 'alchemy-sdk';

const alchemy = new Alchemy({
  apiKey: process.env.ALCHEMY_API_KEY,
  network: Network.ETH_SEPOLIA,
});

export async function getTestnetBalance(address: string): Promise<string> {
  const balance = await alchemy.core.getBalance(address);
  return (parseInt(balance.toString()) / 1e18).toFixed(4);
}

export async function waitForTransaction(txHash: string): Promise<any> {
  return alchemy.core.waitForTransaction(txHash, 1, 60000);
}

export { alchemy };

Step 4: Development Scripts

json
{
  "scripts": {
    "dev": "npx hardhat node --fork https://eth-mainnet.g.alchemy.com/v2/${ALCHEMY_API_KEY}",
    "test": "npx hardhat test",
    "test:watch": "npx hardhat test --watch",
    "deploy:sepolia": "npx hardhat run scripts/deploy.ts --network sepolia",
    "verify": "npx hardhat verify --network sepolia"
  }
}

Step 5: Mainnet Fork Testing

typescript
// test/fork-test.ts
import { expect } from 'chai';
import { ethers } from 'hardhat';

describe('Mainnet Fork Tests', () => {
  it('should read USDC balance on forked mainnet', async () => {
    const USDC = '0xA0b86991c6218b36c1d19D4a2e9Eb0cE3606eB48';
    const usdc = await ethers.getContractAt('IERC20', USDC);
    const totalSupply = await usdc.totalSupply();
    expect(totalSupply).to.be.gt(0);
  });

  it('should impersonate whale account', async () => {
    const whale = '0xd8dA6BF26964aF9D7eEd9e03E53415D37aA96045';
    await ethers.provider.send('hardhat_impersonateAccount', [whale]);
    const signer = await ethers.getSigner(whale);
    const balance = await ethers.provider.getBalance(whale);
    expect(balance).to.be.gt(0);
  });
});

Output

  • Hardhat project with Alchemy RPC (mainnet fork + Sepolia)
  • Alchemy-powered test helpers for balance checks and tx waiting
  • Mainnet fork testing with account impersonation
  • Development scripts with watch mode

Error Handling

Error Cause Solution
Fork timeout Alchemy rate limit Pin block number; upgrade plan
ProviderError: missing trie node Stale fork block Use more recent block number
Sepolia deploy fails Insufficient test ETH Get from Alchemy Sepolia faucet
nonce too low Stale nonce cache Reset Hardhat network or clear nonce

Resources

Next Steps

For SDK patterns and best practices, see alchemy-sdk-patterns.

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