Getting Started with ink! v6

This guide will walk you through getting started with ink! v6.

Pop CLI introduces experimental support for ink! v6 smart contracts running on PolkaVM (RISC-V) via pallet-revive. This guide helps you transition from ink! v5 (WebAssembly) and start experimenting with ink! v6.

What's new in ink! v6?

• ink! v5: Version of the ink! that can be compiled into WebAssembly byte code and can be executed on pallet-contracts virtual machine.

• ink! v6: Version of ink! that can be compiled into RISC-V byte code and can be executed on PolkaVM (pallet-revive).

For more information about the benefits of RISC-V and pallet-revive, see RISC-V + pallet-revive.

Installing Pop CLI for ink! v6 support

Pop CLI supports ink! v6 through the polkavm-contracts feature flag.

To install it from the experimental branch, run:

cargo install pop-cli --no-default-features --locked -F polkavm-contracts,parachain,telemetry

⚠️ Note: Make sure you're using Rust 1.85 or higher, older versions will fail to compile. You can check your version with rustc --version.

Getting started with ink! v6

The workflow for developing smart contracts remains similar to ink! v5. To get started, see our guide: Create a new contract.

Migrating existing ink! smart contracts

If you already have an ink! smart contract, update your dependencies as follows: Update your Cargo.toml

[dependencies]
ink = { version = "6.0.0-alpha", default-features = false }

[dev-dependencies]
ink_e2e = { version = "6.0.0-alpha" }

For a complete example, check the ink! flipper example.

Account Mapping

pallet_revive enables the deployment and execution of PolkaVM smart contracts. It introduces support for 20-byte accounts (like EVM), while most Polkadot-based chains use 32-byte accounts (AccountId32). To ensure compatibility, pallet_revive provides a mapping feature that lets 32-byte accounts seamlessly interact with the VM.

When first interacting with pallet_revive, you must map your Polkadot account ID (32 bytes) to an Ethereum-compatible 20-byte address. This registration enables your account to interact with contracts.

Pop CLI will prompt you automatically:

Alternatively, you can interact on Polkadot JS Apps:

For further information about account mapping, including native EVM contract integration with Asset Hub, see Native EVM Contracts.

Resources

Learning Resources

• Migrate from ink! v5 → v6 in the ink! docs.

  • ⭕ Detailed ink! v6 Changelog.

• pallet_revive technical documentation.

Technical Support

• Polkadot Stack Exchange

  • Create a question and tag it with "pop"

  • Share the StackExchange question in our Pop Support Telegram channel