nethereum Nethereum DevChain Aspire Template
The nethereum-devchain template creates a complete local Ethereum development environment orchestrated by .NET Aspire — a DevChain node, blockchain indexer, Blazor explorer, and PostgreSQL database, all wired together with service discovery, telemetry, and health checks.
When to Use This
- Setting up a local Ethereum development environment quickly
- Need a blockchain explorer for local development
- Want an indexed local chain (blocks, transactions, token transfers in PostgreSQL)
- Replacing Docker Compose setups for Ethereum dev infrastructure
- Setting up infrastructure before building a dApp (see
aspire-dappfor full-stack)
Install & Create
# Install the template pack (once)
dotnet new install Nethereum.Aspire.TemplatePack
# Create a project
dotnet new nethereum-devchain -n MyChain
cd MyChain
# Set the dev account private key
cd AppHost
dotnet user-secrets set "Parameters:devAccountPrivateKey" "5de4111afa1a4b94908f83103eb1f1706367c2e68ca870fc3fb9a804cdab365a"
cd ..
# Run
dotnet run --project AppHost
The Aspire dashboard opens at https://localhost:17178 with all services visible.
Template Parameters
dotnet new nethereum-devchain -n MyChain \
--NethereumVersion 6.1.0 \
--ChainId 42069 \
--AspireVersion 13.1.1
| Parameter | Default | Description |
|---|---|---|
--NethereumVersion |
6.1.0 |
Nethereum NuGet package version |
--ChainId |
31337 |
Chain ID for the DevChain |
--AspireVersion |
13.1.1 |
.NET Aspire SDK version |
What's Included
| Service | Description |
|---|---|
| DevChain | In-memory Ethereum node (EIP-1559, debug tracing, pre-funded accounts) |
| Indexer | Indexes blocks, transactions, token transfers (ERC-20/721/1155), MUD records into PostgreSQL |
| Explorer | Blazor blockchain explorer with contract interaction, ABI decoding, wallet connection |
| PostgreSQL | Managed Docker container for all indexed data |
Project Structure
MyChain/
├── AppHost/ Aspire orchestrator
├── DevChain/ Ethereum node
├── Indexer/ Block indexer → PostgreSQL
├── Explorer/ Blazor blockchain explorer
└── ServiceDefaults/ Shared Aspire config
Prerequisites
- .NET 10 SDK or later
- Docker Desktop (for PostgreSQL)
Configuration
DevChain Storage
{
"DevChain": {
"ChainId": 31337,
"Storage": "sqlite",
"AutoMine": true
}
}
Set "Storage": "memory" for ephemeral chains that reset on restart.
Connect Tools
// Nethereum
var web3 = new Web3("http://localhost:<port>");
var balance = await web3.Eth.GetBalance.SendRequestAsync("0xf39Fd6e51aad88F6F4ce6aB8827279cffFb92266");
# Foundry
cast balance 0xf39Fd6e51aad88F6F4ce6aB8827279cffFb92266 --rpc-url http://localhost:<port>
Troubleshooting
- PostgreSQL unhealthy:
docker volume rm nethereum-pgdatathen restart - Port conflicts: Aspire assigns dynamic ports — check the dashboard
Related Skills
devchain— DevChain library details (configuration, forking, RPC methods, testing patterns)aspire-dapp— Full-stack dApp template (adds WebApp, Solidity contracts, wallet integration)blockchain-explorer— Explorer features in depthblockchain-indexing— Indexer configuration and customisation
For full documentation, see: https://docs.nethereum.com/docs/aspire-templates/guide-devchain-template