keep-starknet-strange

starknet-js

"Guide for building Starknet applications using starknet.js v9.x SDK. Use when developing Starknet dApps, interacting with smart contracts, managing accounts, handling transactions, estimating fees, integrating browser wallets, or working with Paymaster for sponsored/alternative gas token transactions."

keep-starknet-strange 79 25 Updated 3mo ago
GitHub

Install

npx skillscat add keep-starknet-strange/starknet-agentic/starknet-js

Install via the SkillsCat registry.

SKILL.md

starknet.js v9.x SDK

Quick Start

npm install starknet

Minimal setup to read from Starknet:

import { RpcProvider, Contract } from 'starknet';

const provider = await RpcProvider.create({ nodeUrl: 'https://rpc.starknet.lava.build' });
const contract = new Contract(abi, contractAddress, provider);
const result = await contract.get_balance();

Core Architecture

Provider -> Account -> Contract
   |          |          |
Network   Identity   Interaction
  • Provider: Read-only network connection (RpcProvider)
  • Account: Extends Provider with signing and transaction capabilities
  • Contract: Type-safe interface to deployed contracts

Use Provider for read operations, Account for write operations.

Provider Setup

import { RpcProvider } from 'starknet';

// Recommended: Auto-detect RPC spec version
const provider = await RpcProvider.create({
  nodeUrl: 'https://rpc.starknet.lava.build'
});

Networks:

  • Mainnet: https://rpc.starknet.lava.build
  • Sepolia: https://rpc.starknet-testnet.lava.build

Key Methods:

const chainId = await provider.getChainId();
const block = await provider.getBlock('latest');
const nonce = await provider.getNonceForAddress(accountAddress);
await provider.waitForTransaction(txHash);

// Read storage directly
const value = await provider.getStorageAt(contractAddress, storageKey);

Account Management

Account Creation (4 Steps)

Step 1: Compute address

import { hash, ec, encode, CallData } from 'starknet';

// IMPORTANT: `stark.randomAddress()` returns an address-like random felt and is NOT a private key.
// Use a real stark curve private key generator.
const privateKey = '0x' + encode.buf2hex(ec.starkCurve.utils.randomPrivateKey());
const publicKey = ec.starkCurve.getStarkKey(privateKey);

// NOTE: account class hashes are network/account-type dependent.
// Treat this as an example only (verify the correct class hash for your setup).
const classHash = '0x540d7f5ec7ecf317e68d48564934cb99259781b1ee3cedbbc37ec5337f8e688'; // example

const constructorCalldata = CallData.compile({ publicKey });
const address = hash.calculateContractAddressFromHash(publicKey, classHash, constructorCalldata, 0);

Step 2: Fund the address with STRK before deployment.

Step 3: Deploy

import { Account } from 'starknet';

// NOTE: Account constructor signature varies across starknet.js versions.
// If this doesn't typecheck for your version, refer to the official docs.
const account = new Account({ provider, address, signer: privateKey, cairoVersion: '1' });
const { transaction_hash } = await account.deployAccount({
  classHash,
  constructorCalldata,
  addressSalt: publicKey
});
await provider.waitForTransaction(transaction_hash);

Step 4: Use the account for transactions.

Connect to Existing Account

const account = new Account({
  provider,
  address: '0x123...',
  signer: privateKey,
  cairoVersion: '1'  // Optional, auto-detected if omitted
});

Contract Interaction

Connect to Contract

import { Contract } from 'starknet';

const contract = new Contract(abi, contractAddress, provider);  // Read-only
const writeContract = new Contract(abi, contractAddress, account);   // Read-write

Typed Contract (Type-Safe)

// Get full TypeScript autocomplete and type checking from ABI
const typedContract = contract.typedv2(abi);
const balance = await typedContract.balanceOf(userAddress);

Read State

const balance = await contract.get_balance();
const userBalance = await contract.balanceOf(userAddress);

Write (Execute)

const tx = await contract.increase_balance(100);
await provider.waitForTransaction(tx.transaction_hash);

Multicall (Batch Transactions)

import { CallData, cairo } from 'starknet';

const calls = [
  {
    contractAddress: tokenAddress,
    entrypoint: 'approve',
    calldata: CallData.compile({ spender: bridgeAddress, amount: cairo.uint256(1000n) })
  },
  {
    contractAddress: bridgeAddress,
    entrypoint: 'deposit',
    calldata: CallData.compile({ amount: cairo.uint256(1000n) })
  }
];

const tx = await account.execute(calls);

Using populate() for type-safety:

const approveCall = tokenContract.populate('approve', {
  spender: bridgeAddress,
  amount: cairo.uint256(1000n)
});
const depositCall = bridgeContract.populate('deposit', { amount: cairo.uint256(1000n) });
const tx = await account.execute([approveCall, depositCall]);

Parse Events

const receipt = await provider.getTransactionReceipt(txHash);
const events = contract.parseEvents(receipt);
const transferEvents = contract.parseEvents(receipt, 'Transfer');

Transaction Simulation

Simulate before executing to catch reverts and inspect state changes:

const simResult = await account.simulateTransaction(
  [{ type: 'INVOKE', payload: calls }],
  { skipValidate: false }
);

console.log('Fee estimate:', simResult[0].fee_estimation);
console.log('Trace:', simResult[0].transaction_trace);

// Check state changes before execution
const trace = simResult[0].transaction_trace;
if (trace?.state_diff) {
  console.log('Storage changes:', trace.state_diff.storage_diffs);
}

Fee Estimation

const fee = await account.estimateInvokeFee(calls);
console.log({
  overallFee: fee.overall_fee,
  resourceBounds: fee.resourceBounds  // V3: l1_gas, l2_gas, l1_data_gas
});

Execute with custom bounds:

const tx = await account.execute(calls, {
  resourceBounds: {
    l1_gas: { amount: '0x2000', price: '0x1000000000' },
    l2_gas: { amount: '0x0', price: '0x0' },
    l1_data_gas: { amount: '0x1000', price: '0x1000000000' }
  }
});

With priority tip:

const tipStats = await provider.getEstimateTip();
const tx = await account.execute(calls, { tip: tipStats.percentile_75 });

Transaction Receipt Handling

const receipt = await provider.waitForTransaction(txHash);

// Status check helpers
if (receipt.isSuccess()) {
  console.log('Transaction succeeded');
} else if (receipt.isReverted()) {
  console.log('Reverted:', receipt.revert_reason);
} else if (receipt.isRejected()) {
  console.log('Rejected');
} else if (receipt.isError()) {
  console.log('Error');
}

Wallet Integration

Connect to browser wallets (ArgentX, Braavos):

import { connect } from '@starknet-io/get-starknet';
import { WalletAccount } from 'starknet';

const selectedWallet = await connect({ modalMode: 'alwaysAsk' });
const walletAccount = await WalletAccount.connect(
  { nodeUrl: 'https://rpc.starknet.lava.build' },
  selectedWallet
);

// Use like regular Account
const tx = await walletAccount.execute(calls);

// Event handlers
walletAccount.onAccountChange((accounts) => console.log('New account:', accounts[0]));
walletAccount.onNetworkChanged((chainId) => console.log('Network changed:', chainId));

Paymaster (Gas Sponsorship)

Setup paymaster for sponsored or alternative gas token transactions:

import { PaymasterRpc, Account } from 'starknet';

const paymaster = new PaymasterRpc({ nodeUrl: 'https://sepolia.paymaster.avnu.fi' });
const account = new Account({ provider, address, signer: privateKey, paymaster });

Sponsored (dApp pays gas):

const tx = await account.executePaymasterTransaction(calls, { feeMode: { mode: 'sponsored' } });

Alternative token (e.g., USDC):

const tokens = await account.paymaster.getSupportedTokens();
const feeDetails = { feeMode: { mode: 'default', gasToken: USDC_ADDRESS } };
const estimate = await account.estimatePaymasterTransactionFee(calls, feeDetails);
const tx = await account.executePaymasterTransaction(calls, feeDetails, estimate.suggested_max_fee_in_gas_token);

Message Signing (SNIP-12)

const typedData = {
  types: {
    StarknetDomain: [
      { name: 'name', type: 'shortstring' },
      { name: 'version', type: 'shortstring' },
      { name: 'chainId', type: 'shortstring' },
      { name: 'revision', type: 'shortstring' }
    ],
    Message: [{ name: 'content', type: 'shortstring' }]
  },
  primaryType: 'Message',
  domain: { name: 'MyDapp', version: '1', chainId: 'SN_SEPOLIA', revision: '1' },
  message: { content: 'Hello Starknet' }
};

const signature = await account.signMessage(typedData);
const msgHash = await account.hashMessage(typedData);
const isValid = ec.starkCurve.verify(signature, msgHash, publicKey);

CallData & Cairo Types

import { CallData, cairo, CairoCustomEnum, CairoOption, CairoOptionVariant } from 'starknet';

// Compile with ABI
const calldata = new CallData(abi);
const compiled = calldata.compile('transfer', { recipient: '0x...', amount: cairo.uint256(1000n) });

// Cairo type helpers - always use BigInt (n suffix) for token amounts
cairo.uint256(1000n)          // { low, high } - ALWAYS use BigInt for precision
cairo.felt252(1000)           // BigInt
cairo.felt('0x123')           // hex to felt
cairo.bool(true)              // Cairo bool
cairo.byteArray('Hello')      // ByteArray for long strings

// Short strings (<= 31 chars)
import { shortString } from 'starknet';
shortString.encodeShortString('hello')  // felt252
shortString.decodeShortString('0x...')  // 'hello'

// Enums and Options
const myEnum = new CairoCustomEnum({ Variant1: { value: 123 } });
const some = new CairoOption(CairoOptionVariant.Some, value);

Important: Always use BigInt (e.g., 1000n) for token amounts and balances. Never use Number() or parseFloat() on wei values -- JavaScript numbers lose precision above 2^53.

ERC-20 Token Operations

const erc20 = new Contract(erc20Abi, tokenAddress, account);

// Read balance (returns BigInt - do NOT convert with Number())
const balance = await erc20.balanceOf(account.address);
console.log('Balance (wei):', balance.toString());

// Transfer (use BigInt for amount)
const amount = cairo.uint256(1000000000000000000n); // 1 token (18 decimals)
const tx = await erc20.transfer(recipientAddress, amount);
await provider.waitForTransaction(tx.transaction_hash);

// Approve + transferFrom pattern
await erc20.approve(spenderAddress, cairo.uint256(amount));

Utility Functions

import { stark, ec, encode, num, hash } from 'starknet';

// Key generation
const privateKey = '0x' + encode.buf2hex(ec.starkCurve.utils.randomPrivateKey());
const publicKey = ec.starkCurve.getStarkKey(privateKey);

// Number conversions
num.toHex(123);           // '0x7b'
num.toBigInt('0x7b');     // 123n

// Hashing
hash.getSelectorFromName('transfer');
hash.calculateContractAddressFromHash(salt, classHash, calldata, deployer);

Contract Deployment

// Deploy via UDC
const { transaction_hash, contract_address } = await account.deploy({
  classHash: '0x...',
  constructorCalldata: CallData.compile({ owner: account.address }),
  salt: stark.randomAddress(), // random felt252 salt (not a private key)
  unique: true
});

// Declare first, then deploy
const declareResponse = await account.declare({
  contract: compiledSierra,
  casm: compiledCasm
});
await provider.waitForTransaction(declareResponse.transaction_hash);

const deployResponse = await account.deploy({
  classHash: declareResponse.class_hash,
  constructorCalldata: CallData.compile({ owner: account.address })
});

// Or combined
const result = await account.declareAndDeploy({
  contract: compiledContract,
  casm: compiledCasm,
  constructorCalldata: CallData.compile({ owner: account.address })
});

Outside Execution (SNIP-9)

Execute transactions on behalf of another account (gasless/delegated):

const version = await account.getSnip9Version();  // 'V1' | 'V2' | 'UNSUPPORTED'

const outsideTransaction = await account.getOutsideTransaction(
  { caller: executorAddress, execute_after: now, execute_before: now + 3600 },
  calls,
  'V2'
);

// Executor submits the pre-signed transaction
const result = await executorAccount.executeFromOutside(outsideTransaction);

Error Handling

import { LibraryError, RpcError } from 'starknet';

try {
  const tx = await account.execute(calls);
} catch (error) {
  if (error instanceof RpcError) {
    console.error('RPC error:', error.code, error.message);
  } else if (error instanceof LibraryError) {
    console.error('Library error:', error.message);
  }
}

Logging & Configuration

import { config, setLogLevel } from 'starknet';

// Global config
config.set('transactionVersion', '0x3');
config.get('transactionVersion');

// Logging
setLogLevel('DEBUG');  // ERROR | WARN | INFO | DEBUG