Nexus NFT Collection DApp

This project is a full-stack decentralized application (dApp) for minting and viewing NFTs on the Nexus blockchain testnet. It consists of two main parts:

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Project Structure & Components

1. NFT Logic (Smart Contract)

• Location: contracts/, scripts/, hardhat.config.ts
• Description:
  • The core NFT logic is implemented in the Solidity smart contract SimpleNFT.sol.
  • This contract is an ERC-721 NFT with owner enumeration and metadata management.
  • Deployment and management scripts are provided using Hardhat.
  • The contract is responsible for minting, tracking ownership, and managing NFT metadata.

2. Frontend (Next.js App)

• Location: frontend/
• Description:
  • The frontend is a React app built with Next.js.
  • It allows users to mint NFTs and view NFTs owned by any address.
  • Uses ethers.js to interact with the deployed smart contract on the blockchain.
  • Requires the contract's ABI and address to communicate with the NFT logic.

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What is the ABI?

ABI stands for Application Binary Interface. It is a JSON file generated when you compile your smart contract. The ABI defines how the frontend (or any client) can interact with the contract: what functions are available, what parameters they take, and what data they return.

• In this project, the ABI for SimpleNFT.sol is generated by Hardhat and copied to frontend/abi/SimpleNFT.json.
• The frontend imports this ABI to know how to call contract functions (like minting or querying NFTs).
• Keeping the ABI in sync with the deployed contract is essential for the frontend to work correctly.

Important: Whenever you make edits to the Solidity contract (.sol files), you must:

1. Recompile the contract with npx hardhat compile.
2. Copy the updated ABI to the frontend with node copy-abi.js.
3. (If you redeploy) Update the contract address in frontend/.env.local.

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Features

• Mint NFTs: Anyone can mint an NFT to their own or another address.
• View NFTs: Enter any wallet address to see all NFTs owned by that address.
• No images/metadata: This demo does not serve images or metadata for NFTs.

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Getting Started

1. Clone & Install Dependencies

git clone https://github.com/nexus-xyz/example-nft-minter
pnpm install # or npm install, make sure you install in root as well as frontend directories

2. Environment Variables

Create a .env file in the root with:

PRIVATE_KEY=your_private_key_for_deployment
NEXT_PUBLIC_URL=http://localhost:3000 # or your deployed frontend URL

In frontend/, create a .env.local file:

NEXT_PUBLIC_NFT_CONTRACT_ADDRESS=your_deployed_contract_address

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3. Compile & Deploy the Smart Contract

npx hardhat compile
node scripts/deploy.js

• The deployment script will print the contract address. Copy this address for the frontend config.

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4. Copy the ABI for Frontend Use

After deploying, run:

node copy-abi.js

This copies the contract ABI to frontend/abi/SimpleNFT.json for the frontend to use.

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5. Configure the Frontend

In frontend/.env.local, set:

NEXT_PUBLIC_NFT_CONTRACT_ADDRESS=your_deployed_contract_address

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6. Run the Frontend

cd frontend
pnpm install # or npm install
pnpm dev # or npm run dev

Open http://localhost:3000 to use the app.

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Project Structure

• contracts/ — Solidity smart contracts
• scripts/ — Deployment scripts
• frontend/ — Next.js frontend app
• frontend/abi/ — Contract ABI for frontend

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Useful Commands

• Compile contracts: npx hardhat compile
• Deploy contract: node scripts/deploy.js
• Copy ABI: node copy-abi.js
• Run frontend: cd frontend && pnpm dev

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Requirements

• Node.js 18+
• pnpm or npm
• Wallet with testnet funds for deployment

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License

MIT