Welcome to the exciting realm of ZetaChain! With its unique blend of EVM compatibility, omnichain capabilities, and interactive smart contracts, ZetaChain stands at the forefront of blockchain innovation. This blog will guide you through the prerequisites, components, and building processes associated with ZetaChain in a user-friendly manner.

Prerequisites for ZetaChain

Before diving into ZetaChain, ensure you have the following tools installed:

• Go 1.22
• Docker (optional, for running tests locally)
• Docker Compose (optional, for running tests locally)
• Buf (optional, for processing protocol buffer files)
• jq (optional, for running scripts)

Components of ZetaChain

ZetaChain is crafted using powerful technologies:

• Cosmos SDK: A modular framework for blockchain development.
• Ethermint: A module for achieving EVM compatibility (ZetaChain fork).
• zeta-node: This repository contains the source code for both zetacored and zetaclientd.
• protocol-contracts: Source code for the Solidity smart contracts that power ZetaChain.

Building the Binaries

To get started with ZetaChain, you’ll need to build the zetacored and zetaclientd binaries. Follow these steps:

1. Clone the repository.
2. Checkout the latest release tag.
3. In the terminal, type the following command:

make install

4. This command will install the binaries in your $GOPATH/bin directory.
5. Verify that the version of the binaries matches the release tag:

zetacored version

zetaclientd version

Making Changes to the Source Code

Have an idea to enhance ZetaChain? After modifying any of the protocol buffer files, you need to generate the necessary files. Follow this process:

• Run the following command:

make generate

• This command uses buf to create the Go files from the protocol buffer files and organize them properly.
• It also generates an OpenAPI specification.
• Documentation will be updated automatically through static code analysis.

Troubleshooting Tips

Encountering issues while working with ZetaChain? Here are some troubleshooting ideas:

• Ensure all prerequisites are correctly installed and up-to-date.
• If you run into problems with command compatibility, double-check your version of Go.
• Refer to the [ZetaChain community](https://twitter.com/zetablockchain) for support and advice.
• For more insights, updates, or to collaborate on AI development projects, stay connected with fxis.ai.

Further Reading

Expand your knowledge on ZetaChain by exploring the resources below:

• Run the E2E tests and interact with the localnet
• Make a new ZetaChain release
• Deploy your own ZetaChain or Bitcoin node

Conclusion

At fxis.ai, we believe that such advancements are crucial for the future of AI, as they enable more comprehensive and effective solutions. Our team is continually exploring new methodologies to push the envelope in artificial intelligence, ensuring that our clients benefit from the latest technological innovations.