ERC-20 Token Project

This project demonstrates how to create a custom ERC-20 token using Solidity and Hardhat. The goal is to teach the fundamentals of ERC-20 tokens while leveraging OpenZeppelin's secure and optimized implementation.

What is ERC-20?

ERC-20 is a token standard on Ethereum that defines how fungible tokens behave. It ensures that all ERC-20 tokens follow the same rules, making them compatible with wallets, exchanges, and other smart contracts.

Essential ERC-20 Functions:

1️⃣ totalSupply() → Returns the total supply of the token.
2️⃣ balanceOf(address owner) → Checks how many tokens an address holds.
3️⃣ transfer(to, amount) → Sends tokens from one address to another.
4️⃣ approve(spender, amount) → Allows another address (like a contract) to spend tokens on behalf of the owner.
5️⃣ allowance(owner, spender) → Checks how much a spender is allowed to use.
6️⃣ transferFrom(from, to, amount) → Moves tokens on behalf of an owner after approval.

These functions allow ERC-20 tokens to be transferred, approved, and managed securely within the Ethereum ecosystem.

Why OpenZeppelin?

Instead of writing the ERC-20 functions from scratch, we use OpenZeppelin’s audited contracts. This ensures:

✅ Security – Avoids common vulnerabilities in token contracts.
✅ Efficiency – Reuses well-tested code, reducing bugs and saving development time.
✅ Interoperability – Follows the ERC-20 standard exactly, ensuring compatibility with wallets, exchanges, and other smart contracts.

By using OpenZeppelin, we focus on learning ERC-20 concepts rather than reinventing existing standards. The ERC-20 standard requires several functions like transfer(), approve(), and allowance(). Instead of writing these from scratch, we use OpenZeppelin’s implementation, which is already secure and widely used. This prevents security vulnerabilities and ensures compatibility with the broader Ethereum ecosystem.

How to View ERC-20 Implementation in OpenZeppelin

To see how these functions work, you can explore OpenZeppelin’s source code:

• ERC-20 Contract: OpenZeppelin ERC-20.sol
• ERC-20 Interface: IERC20.sol

By using OpenZeppelin, we focus on learning ERC-20 concepts rather than reinventing existing standards.

What’s Included?

• Minting & Burning Functions – Allows token creation and destruction.
• Deployment Script – Automates the deployment process.
• Testing Setup – Ensures the token works correctly with Hardhat.

Getting Started

1. Install dependencies:

   npm install

2. Compile the contract:

   npx hardhat compile

3. Deploy the contract locally:

   npx hardhat run scripts/deploy.ts --network localhost

4. Run tests:

   npx hardhat test