Gasless Transactions on Somnia with Thirdweb Account Abstraction

This tutorial demonstrates how to build a gasless NFT minting application on Somnia using Thirdweb's Account Abstraction infrastructure. Users can mint NFTs without holding STT tokens by using Smart Accounts with sponsored transactions.

Prerequisites

• Basic knowledge of React and Next.js

• A Thirdweb account and API key

• A deployed ERC721 NFT Smart Contract on Somnia

What You'll Build

A web application where users can:

• Connect using email or social accounts (via in-app wallets)

• Mint NFTs without paying gas fees

• View their NFT balance

• Experience seamless Web3 interactions

Create a Next.js Project

npx create-next-app@latest somnia-gasless-nft --typescript --tailwind --app
cd somnia-gasless-nft

Install Thirdweb SDK

npm install thirdweb

Set Up Environment Variables

Create a .env.local file in your project root:

NEXT_PUBLIC_THIRDWEB_CLIENT_ID=your_client_id_here

Get your Client ID from the Thirdweb Dashboard.

Deploy a Simple NFT Contract

If you haven't already, deploy this simple ERC721 contract on Somnia.

SimpleNFT.sol

// SPDX-License-Identifier: MIT
pragma solidity ^0.8.20;

import "@openzeppelin/contracts/token/ERC721/ERC721.sol";

contract SimpleNFT is ERC721 {
    uint256 private _tokenIdCounter;
    
    constructor() ERC721("SimpleNFT", "SNFT") {}
    
    function mint(address to) public {
        uint256 tokenId = _tokenIdCounter;
        _tokenIdCounter++;
        _safeMint(to, tokenId);
    }
    
    function totalSupply() public view returns (uint256) {
        return _tokenIdCounter;
    }
}

Create Constants Configuration

Now we need to set up our configuration file that will handle all the blockchain connections and smart account setup. This file will:

• Initialize the Thirdweb client with your API key

• Set up both traditional wallet and in-app wallet options

• Define the smart account infrastructure

Create a new folder called constants in your project root, then create constants/index.ts.

constants

import { createThirdwebClient, getContract } from 'thirdweb';
import { SmartWalletOptions, inAppWallet } from 'thirdweb/wallets';
import { somniaTestnet } from 'thirdweb/chains';

// Validate environment variables
const clientId = process.env.NEXT_PUBLIC_THIRDWEB_CLIENT_ID;

if (!clientId) {
  throw new Error('No client ID provided');
}

// Initialize Thirdweb client
export const client = createThirdwebClient({
  clientId: clientId,
});

// Use Somnia testnet
export const chain = somniaTestnet;

// Your deployed NFT contract address
export const nftContractAddress = '0x...'; // UPDATE with your contract address

// Get contract instance
export const nftContract = getContract({
  address: nftContractAddress,
  chain,
  client,
});

// Account Abstraction configuration for standard wallet connection
export const accountAbstraction: SmartWalletOptions = {
  chain,
  sponsorGas: true, // Enable gasless transactions
};

// Smart Account infrastructure addresses
const FACTORY_ADDRESS = '0x4be0ddfebca9a5a4a617dee4dece99e7c862dceb'; // Thirdweb Account Factory

// In-app wallet configuration with smart accounts
export const wallets = [
  inAppWallet({
    smartAccount: {
      chain: somniaTestnet,
      sponsorGas: true,
      factoryAddress: FACTORY_ADDRESS,
    },
  }),
];

Create the Main Minting Page

This is the main component where users will interact with your NFT minting application. We'll break this into three parts: imports and setup, the component logic, and the UI rendering.

Imports and Component Setup

First, let's set up our imports and initialize the component. Create app/page.tsx.

page.tsx

'use client';
import { useState } from 'react';
import { balanceOf, totalSupply } from 'thirdweb/extensions/erc721';
import {
  ConnectButton,
  TransactionButton,
  useActiveAccount,
  useReadContract,
} from 'thirdweb/react';
import { prepareContractCall } from 'thirdweb';
import {
  accountAbstraction,
  client,
  nftContract,
  wallets,
} from '../constants';
import Link from 'next/link';

These imports provide:

• ERC721 Extensions: Functions to read NFT data (balance and total supply)

• React Components: Pre-built UI components for wallet connection and transactions

• Hooks: To access the connected account and read blockchain data

• All our constants from the previous step

Component Logic and Data Fetching

Now let's add the component logic that handles wallet connections and reads blockchain data:

page.tsx

export default function Home() {
  // Get the currently connected account (either smart account or regular wallet)
  const account = useActiveAccount();
  
  // State for showing transaction progress
  const [txStatus, setTxStatus] = useState<string>('');

  // Read the total number of NFTs minted from the contract
  const { data: totalMinted } = useReadContract(totalSupply, {
    contract: nftContract,
  });

  // Read how many NFTs the connected user owns
  const { data: userBalance } = useReadContract(balanceOf, {
    contract: nftContract,
    owner: account?.address!,
    queryOptions: { enabled: !!account }, // Only fetch when account is connected
  });

• useActiveAccount(): Gets the connected wallet/smart account

• useState: Manages transaction status messages

• useReadContract: Automatically fetches and updates blockchain data

The queries will re-fetch automatically when accounts change or transactions complete

User Interface

Now let's build the complete UI that users will interact with

page.tsx

'use client';
import { useState } from 'react';
import { balanceOf, totalSupply } from 'thirdweb/extensions/erc721';
import {
  ConnectButton,
  TransactionButton,
  useActiveAccount,
  useReadContract,
} from 'thirdweb/react';
import { prepareContractCall } from 'thirdweb';
import {
  accountAbstraction,
  client,
  nftContract,
  wallets,
} from '../../constants';
import Link from 'next/link';

const GaslessHome: React.FC = () => {
  const account = useActiveAccount();
  const [txStatus, setTxStatus] = useState<string>('');

  // Get total supply
  const { data: totalMinted } = useReadContract(totalSupply, {
    contract: nftContract,
  });

  // Get user's balance
  const { data: userBalance } = useReadContract(balanceOf, {
    contract: nftContract,
    owner: account?.address!,
    queryOptions: { enabled: !!account },
  });

  return (
    <div className='flex flex-col items-center min-h-screen p-8'>
      {/* Main Title */}
      <h1 className='text-2xl md:text-6xl font-semibold md:font-bold tracking-tighter mb-12 text-zinc-100'>
        Gasless NFT Minting on Somnia
      </h1>

      {/* Wallet Connection Button */}
      <ConnectButton
        client={client}
        wallets={wallets}                    // Enables in-app wallet options
        accountAbstraction={accountAbstraction} // Enables smart accounts for regular wallets
        connectModal={{
          size: 'wide',
          title: 'Choose Your Login Method',
          welcomeScreen: {
            title: 'Gasless NFT Minting',
            subtitle: 'Sign in to mint NFTs without gas fees',
          },
        }}
        appMetadata={{
          name: 'Somnia NFT Minter',
          url: 'https://somnia.network',
        }}
      />

      {/* NFT Display and Minting Section */}
      <div className='flex flex-col mt-8 items-center'>
        {/* Stats Card */}
        <div className='mb-8 p-8 bg-zinc-900 rounded-2xl shadow-xl'>
          <div className='text-center mb-6'>
            <p className='text-3xl font-bold text-white mb-2'>
              {totalMinted?.toString() || '0'}
            </p>
            <p className='text-sm text-zinc-400'>Total NFTs Minted</p>
          </div>

          {/* NFT Visual Representation */}
          <div className='flex items-center justify-center'>
            <div className='w-48 h-48 bg-gradient-to-br from-purple-600 to-blue-600 rounded-xl flex items-center justify-center shadow-lg'>
              <div className='text-white text-center'>
                <p className='text-6xl font-bold mb-2'>NFT</p>
                <p className='text-sm opacity-80'>SimpleNFT on Somnia</p>
              </div>
            </div>
          </div>
        </div>

        {/* Conditional Rendering: Connected vs Not Connected */}
        {account ? (
          <div className='flex flex-col items-center gap-4'>
            {/* User Stats */}
            <div className='text-center'>
              <p className='font-semibold text-lg'>
                You own{' '}
                <span className='text-green-400'>
                  {userBalance?.toString() || '0'}
                </span>{' '}
                NFTs
              </p>
              <p className='text-sm text-zinc-400 mt-1'>
                Wallet: {account.address.slice(0, 6)}...{account.address.slice(-4)}
              </p>
            </div>

            {/* Transaction Status */}
            {txStatus && (
              <p className='text-sm text-yellow-400 mb-2'>{txStatus}</p>
            )}

            {/* Mint Button */}
            <TransactionButton
              transaction={() =>
                prepareContractCall({
                  contract: nftContract,
                  method: 'function mint(address to)',
                  params: [account.address],
                })
              }
              onError={(error) => {
                console.error('Transaction error:', error);
                setTxStatus('');
                
                // User-friendly error messages
                let errorMessage = 'Transaction failed';
                
                if (error.message?.includes('insufficient funds')) {
                  errorMessage = 'Insufficient funds for gas';
                } else if (error.message?.includes('rejected')) {
                  errorMessage = 'Transaction rejected by user';
                } else if (error.message?.includes('500')) {
                  errorMessage = 'Service temporarily unavailable';
                }
                
                alert(`Error: ${errorMessage}`);
              }}
              onTransactionSent={(result) => {
                console.log('Transaction sent:', result.transactionHash);
                setTxStatus('Transaction submitted! Waiting for confirmation...');
              }}
              onTransactionConfirmed={async (receipt) => {
                console.log('Transaction confirmed:', receipt);
                setTxStatus('');
                alert('NFT minted successfully!');
              }}
              className='px-8 py-4 bg-gradient-to-r from-purple-600 to-blue-600 hover:from-purple-700 hover:to-blue-700 rounded-lg font-semibold transition-all transform hover:scale-105 shadow-lg'
            >
              Mint NFT (Gasless)
            </TransactionButton>
          </div>
        ) : (
          {/* Not Connected State */}
          <p className='text-center w-full mt-10 text-zinc-400'>
            Connect your wallet to mint NFTs without gas fees!
          </p>
        )}
      </div>

      {/* Navigation - Removed since this is now the home page */}
    </div>
  );
};

Understanding the UI Components

ConnectButton: This component handles both connection methods:

• In-App Wallets: Users can sign in with email, Google, Apple, etc.

• Traditional Wallets: Users can connect MetaMask, WalletConnect, etc.

Both methods automatically create smart accounts for gasless transactions

TransactionButton: This component prepares and sends the transaction automatically. Handling all wallet interactions and confirmations, and provides callbacks for different transaction states. It also shows loading states automatically

Error Handling: The component provides user-friendly error messages instead of technical blockchain errors, improving the user experience.

Update the Layout

The layout file wraps your entire application and is where we set up the Thirdweb provider. This provider is essential as it:

• Manages wallet connections across your app

• Handles blockchain interactions

• Provides React hooks for reading blockchain data

• Manages transaction states

Update app/layout.tsx:

layout.tsx

import type { Metadata } from "next";
import { Inter } from "next/font/google";
import "./globals.css";
import { ThirdwebProvider } from "thirdweb/react";

const inter = Inter({ subsets: ["latin"] });

export const metadata: Metadata = {
  title: "Gasless NFT Minting on Somnia",
  description: "Mint NFTs without gas fees using Account Abstraction",
};

export default function RootLayout({
  children,
}: {
  children: React.ReactNode;
}) {
  return (
    <html lang="en">
      <body className={inter.className}>
        <ThirdwebProvider>
          <main className="min-h-screen bg-zinc-950 text-white">
            {children}
          </main>
        </ThirdwebProvider>
      </body>
    </html>
  );
}

Conclusion

You've successfully built a gasless NFT minting application on Somnia! This implementation leverages Thirdweb's Account Abstraction to provide a seamless Web3 experience where users can interact with blockchain without holding native tokens.

For more advanced features and updates on Somnia support, check:

• Thirdweb Account Abstraction Guide

Resources

• Live Demo