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Building an AVS

Step 1: Learn EigenLayer fundamentals​

Before diving into what AVSs are and how you can design and build one, check out the Intro to EigenLayer overview to quickly become familiar with what stakers and operators are.

Review the materials available under EigenLayer Learning Resources, including:

Step 2: Idea to Code: Testing and Deploying your AVS Locally​

The following content covers the minimum set of smart contract integrations and deployment scripts that a project needs to build in order to:

  1. Be considered a fully functional AVS for demo and proof of concept purposes.
  2. Prepare your AVS to integrate Rewards and Slashing functionality, which will be release soon.
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To begin the process below, fork the example repo here hello-world-avs.

Smart Contract Requirements​

1: Integration with EigenLayer Core (AVS Directory)
Implement an instance of ECDSAServiceManagerBase or ServiceManagerBase (BLS).
Please see the example from hello-world-avs here and incredible-squaring-avs here.

2: On Chain Verification
Implement at least one on-chain provable event. The most common approach is to write a ECDSA or BLS aggregate signature (APK) on-chain. This will be utilized in future versions of EigenLayer for Rewards and Slashing functionality.
Please see the example from incredible-squaring-avs here and from hello-world-avs here.

Contract Deployment Requirements​

Implement deployment scripts for your contracts to deploy to your local anvil node.

1: Deploy of EigenLayer Contracts and State
Please see the example from hello-world-avshere.

2: Deploy your AVS contracts
Please see the example forge deployment script from hello-world-avs here and bash deployment script here.

Operator (Off-Chain) Requirements​

1: Operator Registration to AVS
Provide a mechanism for the Operator register to the AVS.

Please see the example from hello-world-avs here.

2: At least one event written to your AVSs on chain contracts
The Operator binary (or off chain aggregation service code) must write at least one event to the AVSs on chain contracts to be used for future on-chain verification, rewards, and slashing purposes.

Please see the example from hello-world-avs here.

Step 3: Preparing and Deploying to Testnet​

  1. Package the Operator’s long running executable in a way that is easy for Operators to launch (via binary, docker container, or similar).

  2. Author Testnet user and Operator documentation, including:

    • Trust Modeling: clarify any trust assumptions in your architecture to your users. Identify the components that are trusted (centralized) and untrusted (decentralized, trustless).
    • Operator instructions to install, register, deregister.
    • End user (aka “Consumer”) instructions to utilize your AVS service.
    • Communication channels that will be utilized for AVS upgrades.
    • Describe Operator monitoring tooling available, such as GraFana dashboards, log files or similar.

  3. Follow the AVS Developer Security Best Practices.

  4. Follow the guidance in Key Manage Considerations for Developers.

  5. Implement the Node Specification for your Operator executable package.

  6. Follow the Testnet Dashboard Onboarding instructions.

Step 4: Preparing and Deploying to Mainnet​

  1. Smart Contract Auditing: have your codebase audited with at least 2-3 reputable audit firms.
  2. Finalize User and Operator documentation.
  3. Follow the Mainnet Dashboard Onboarding instructions.

Get in Touch​

Once you have an idea of what you want to build on EigenLayer, submit an AVS Questionnaire and get in touch with us.