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Developer FAQs

Welcome to the Somnia Network Developer FAQ! This guide is designed for developers building on Somnia's high-performance EVM-compatible blockchain. It covers environment setup, smart contract development, network configuration, APIs, optimization, testing, advanced features, troubleshooting, and resources.

Development Environment Setup

Getting Started

Q: What development tools are compatible with Somnia?

A: Somnia is fully EVM-compatible, so you can use all standard EVM development tools:

  • Hardhat: Most popular framework for smart contract development

  • Foundry: Fast, portable toolkit written in Rust

  • Remix IDE: Browser-based development environment

  • Truffle: Comprehensive development suite

  • Brownie: Python-based development framework

Simply configure these tools to connect to Somnia's network endpoints.

Q: How do I configure my development environment for Somnia?

A: Add Somnia network configuration to your project.

For Hardhat (hardhat.config.js):

For Foundry (foundry.toml):

1

How do I get test tokens for development?

To obtain Somnia Test Tokens (STT) for development:

  1. Discord Method:

    • Join the Somnia Discord server

    • Go to the #dev-chat channel

    • Tag @emma_odia (Somnia DevRel)

    • Request test tokens with your wallet address

  2. Email Method:

    • Email [email protected]

    • Include your project description and GitHub profile

    • Provide your testnet wallet address\

  3. Google cloud web3 faucet here

Q: What are the network parameters for Somnia?

A: Key network information:

Testnet:

Mainnet:

Alternatively you can check out https://chainlist.org/ for other RPC options.

Smart Contract Development

Contract Deployment

Q: How do I deploy smart contracts to Somnia?

A: Deployment process is identical to EVM, you can deploy with:

  • Hardhat

  • Foundry

  • Remix

Q: Are there any differences in smart contract development for Somnia?

A: Somnia is fully EVM-compatible, so:

  • All Solidity features work identically

  • Same gas mechanics and opcodes

  • Compatible with OpenZeppelin libraries

  • Standard deployment tools work

  • Bonus: Much lower gas costs and faster execution

Q: How do I verify contracts on Somnia?

A: Contract verification process:

  1. Via Block Explorer: Use the verification tab on Somnia Explorer

  2. Via API Verification here

Gas Optimization

Q: How do gas fees work on Somnia?

A: Somnia uses a dynamic gas fee model:

  • Payment Token: Fees are paid in SOMI tokens on Mainnet and STT on Testnet

  • Base Fee: Dynamically adjusted based on block execution time

  • Minimum Gas: 21,000 gas for basic transactions

  • Validator Rewards: 50% of gas fees go to validators

  • Volume Discounts: Available for high-volume applications

Tip: Gas costs are significantly lower than Ethereum mainnet due to Somnia's optimized architecture, you can check out more on somnia gas model here.

Q: Should I optimize for gas on Somnia?

A: While gas optimization is still good practice:

  • Less Critical: Lower fees mean less pressure for extreme optimization

  • Focus on Features: More room for feature-rich applications

  • User Experience: Better UX with lower transaction costs

  • Standard Practices: Still follow Solidity best practices

Network Configuration

RPC Providers

Q: What RPC providers are available for Somnia?

A: Multiple RPC providers support Somnia:

Primary Providers:

  • Ankr: Enterprise-grade RPC infrastructure

  • Stakely: High-performance RPC services

  • Official: Somnia's native RPC endpoints

Configuration example:

// Multiple RPC endpoints for redundancy
const rpcUrls = [
  "https://somnia-json-rpc.stakely.io",
  "https://api.infra.mainnet.somnia.network",
  "https://somnia-rpc.publicnode.com"
];

Check out chainlist for more RPC Endpoints

Q: How do I configure MetaMask for Somnia?

APIs and Integration

JSON-RPC APIs

Q: What APIs does Somnia support?

A: Somnia supports standard EVM JSON-RPC APIs:

Core Methods:

  • eth_* methods: Used for blockchain-related operations, such as querying data, sending transactions, or interacting with smart contracts.

  • net_* methods: Provide information about the network, such as its status or connected peers.

  • web3_* methods: Offer details about the client, such as version or configuration.

  • debug_* methods: Enable debugging features on supported nodes, often used for troubleshooting or advanced analysis.

Q: Are there any API rate limits?

  • High Performance: Designed for enterprise-level usage

  • Standard Limits: Follow typical JSON-RPC conventions

Q: How do I integrate Somnia with my existing dApp?

A: Integration is straightforward due to EVM compatibility.

Follow the viem setup on the docs

Performance and Optimization

Somnia's Architecture

Q: What makes Somnia so fast?

A: Somnia achieves 1M+ TPS through four key innovations:

  1. Accelerated Sequential Execution: Compiled EVM bytecode translates to highly optimized native code.

  2. IceDB: Ultra-fast database with 15-100 nanosecond read/write operations and built-in snapshotting.

  3. MultiStream Consensus: Proof-of-stake BFT protocol that decouples data production from consensus, enabling parallel processing.

  4. Advanced Compression: Streaming compression and BLS signature aggregation for high compression ratios.

Learn more here.

Q: What are the performance details I should be aware of?

  • TPS Capacity: 1,000,000+ transactions per second

  • Finality Time: Sub-second transaction finality

  • DEX Performance: 1 million swaps per second

  • Concurrent Users: Designed for millions of users

  • Block Time: Optimized for real-time applications

Testing and Deployment

Testing Strategies

Q: How do I test my contracts on Somnia?

A: Use standard testing frameworks with Somnia configuration.

Hardhat Testing:

// test/Contract.test.js
const { expect } = require("chai");
const { ethers } = require("hardhat");

describe("Contract", function () {
  let contract;
  
  beforeEach(async function () {
    const Contract = await ethers.getContractFactory("YourContract");
    contract = await Contract.deploy();
    await contract.deployed();
  });
  
  it("Should work on Somnia", async function () {
    // Test your contract logic
    expect(await contract.someFunction()).to.equal(expectedValue);
  });
});

Foundry Testing:

// test/Contract.t.sol
pragma solidity ^0.8.0;

import "forge-std/Test.sol";
import "../src/Contract.sol";

contract ContractTest is Test {
    Contract public contractInstance;
    
    function setUp() public {
        contractInstance = new Contract();
    }
    
    function testSomniaCompatibility() public {
        // Test contract functionality
        assertEq(contractInstance.getValue(), expectedValue);
    }
}
Q: What should I test specifically for Somnia?

A: Focus on these areas:

  • Gas Usage: Verify lower gas consumption

  • Performance: Test high-frequency operations

  • Real-time Features: Validate sub-second finality

  • Batch Operations: Test transaction batching

  • Event Emission: Verify real-time event handling

Common Error Messages

Q: What do common error messages mean?

Common errors and solutions:

Insufficient funds for gas

  • Solution: Add SOMI tokens to your wallet

  • Check: Verify gas price and limit settings

Execution reverted

  • Solution: Check contract conditions and requirements

  • Debug: Use transaction simulation tools

Network error

  • Solution: Verify RPC endpoint and internet connection

  • Fallback: Try alternative RPC providers

Resources and Support

Documentation and Guides

Q: Where can I find comprehensive documentation?

A: Official resources:

  • Main Documentation here

  • GitHub: Official repositories and code examples

Q: How do I get developer support?

A: Multiple support channels:

Discord Community:

  • Join the official Somnia Discord

  • #dev-chat channel for technical discussions

  • Real-time support from community and team

Email Support:

  • [email protected]

  • Include project details and specific questions

  • Response within 24-48 hours

GitHub Issues:

  • Report bugs and feature requests

  • Contribute to open-source tools

  • Community-driven solutions

Learning Resources

Q: What learning resources are available for Somnia development?

A: Educational materials:

Tutorials:

  • Smart contract deployment guides

  • dApp integration examples

  • Performance optimization tutorials

  • Real-time application development

Code Examples:

  • GitHub repositories with sample projects

  • Integration templates for popular frameworks

  • Best practice implementations

Community Content:

  • Developer blog posts

  • Video tutorials

  • Workshop recordings

  • Conference presentations

Contributing to the Ecosystem

Q: How can I contribute to Somnia's developer ecosystem?

A: Ways to contribute:

Build Applications:

  • Create innovative dApps leveraging Somnia's performance

  • Open-source your projects for community benefit

  • Share integration patterns and best practices

Community Participation:

  • Answer questions in Discord

  • Write tutorials and guides

  • Speak at developer events

  • Mentor new developers

Technical Contributions:

  • Contribute to open-source tools

  • Report and fix bugs

  • Improve documentation

  • Create developer tooling

Feedback and Testing:

  • Test new features and provide feedback

  • Report performance issues

  • Suggest improvements

  • Participate in beta programs

Congratulations! You now have comprehensive knowledge for developing on Somnia Network. This FAQ covered environment setup, contract development and verification, API integration, optimization, testing, advanced features, troubleshooting, and resources.

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