Ethereum Wingman

A comprehensive Ethereum development tutor and guide built as an Agent Skill. Teaches smart contract development through SpeedRun Ethereum challenges, Scaffold-ETH tooling, and security best practices.

Quick Start

Build an Ethereum dApp from scratch with AI assistance:

# 1. Create a new project folder
mkdir my-defi-project
cd my-defi-project

# 2. Install the Ethereum Wingman skill
npx skills add austintgriffith/ethereum-wingman

# 3. Open in Cursor (or your AI-enabled editor)
cursor .

Then just tell the AI what you want to build:

"Help me build a dApp where users can stake ETH and earn rewards"

"Create a token with buy/sell functionality like SpeedRun Ethereum Challenge 2"

"Build an NFT collection with on-chain SVG art"

The Ethereum Wingman will:

• 🏗️ Scaffold a Scaffold-ETH 2 project for you
• ⚠️ Warn you about critical gotchas (token decimals, reentrancy, etc.)
• 🔐 Guide you on security best practices
• 📚 Reference SpeedRun Ethereum challenges for learning

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What is Ethereum Wingman?

Ethereum Wingman is a knowledge base and prompt system that helps AI agents assist developers learning Ethereum development. It covers:

• SpeedRun Ethereum Challenges: TLDR modules for all 12 challenges
• Scaffold-ETH 2 Integration: Tooling docs, hooks reference, fork workflows
• DeFi Protocols: Uniswap, Aave, Compound patterns
• ERC Standards: Comprehensive guides for ERC-20, 721, 1155, 4626
• Security: Critical gotchas, historical hacks, pre-production checklist

Installation

Via skills.sh (Recommended)

npx skills add austintgriffith/ethereum-wingman

This works with Cursor, Claude Code, Codex, OpenCode, and other AI coding agents.

Manual Installation

For Cursor: Copy .cursorrules to your project root or add to your global Cursor rules.

For Claude Code: Reference the CLAUDE.md file in your project instructions.

As MCP Integration: The skill.json manifest describes capabilities that can be integrated with MCP-compatible agents.

Directory Structure

ethereum-wingman/
├── skills/
│   └── ethereum-wingman/    # skills.sh compatible package
│       ├── SKILL.md         # Skill definition with frontmatter
│       ├── AGENTS.md        # Full compiled instructions
│       ├── metadata.json    # Skill metadata
│       ├── README.md        # Skill documentation
│       ├── scripts/         # Helper scripts
│       │   ├── init-project.sh
│       │   └── check-gotchas.sh
│       └── references/      # Key knowledge files
├── knowledge/
│   ├── challenges/     # 12 SpeedRun Ethereum challenge modules
│   ├── protocols/      # DeFi protocol documentation
│   ├── standards/      # ERC standards
│   ├── foundations/    # Core concepts
│   └── gotchas/        # Security knowledge
├── tools/
│   ├── scaffold-eth/   # Scaffold-ETH 2 documentation
│   ├── deployment/     # Deployment patterns
│   └── security/       # Security tools
├── prompts/            # AI agent prompts
├── AGENTS.md           # Symlink to skills/ethereum-wingman/AGENTS.md
├── skill.json          # Legacy skill manifest
├── .cursorrules        # Cursor IDE integration
└── CLAUDE.md           # Claude Code integration

Key Concepts Covered

🚨 The Most Important Concept

NOTHING IS AUTOMATIC ON ETHEREUM.

Smart contracts cannot execute themselves. For any function that "needs to happen":

1. Make it callable by ANYONE (not just admin)
2. Give callers a REASON (profit, reward, their own interest)
3. Make the incentive SUFFICIENT to cover gas + profit

The Wingman will always ask: "Who calls this function? Why would they pay gas?"

Critical Gotchas

Every Ethereum developer must know:

1. Token Decimals Vary: USDC = 6, WBTC = 8, most = 18
2. Approve Pattern Required: Contracts need approval before transferFrom
3. Reentrancy Attacks: Always use Checks-Effects-Interactions + ReentrancyGuard
4. Oracle Manipulation: Never use DEX spot prices
5. No Floating Point: Use basis points (500/10000 = 5%)
6. Nothing is Automatic: Design incentives for function callers
7. Vault Inflation Attack: Protect first depositors

SpeedRun Ethereum Challenges

Each challenge teaches a key blockchain concept:

| Challenge | Concept | |-----------|---------| | Simple NFT | ERC-721, minting, metadata | | Decentralized Staking | Coordination, deadlines, escrow | | Token Vendor | ERC-20 approve pattern | | Dice Game | Randomness vulnerabilities | | DEX | AMM, constant product formula | | Oracles | Price feeds, manipulation resistance | | Lending | Collateralization, liquidation | | Stablecoins | Pegging mechanisms | | Prediction Markets | Outcome resolution | | ZK Voting | Privacy-preserving governance | | Multisig | Threshold signatures | | SVG NFT | On-chain generative art |

Usage Examples

Teaching Mode

Ask questions like:

• "How does the ERC-20 approve pattern work?"
• "Explain the constant product formula in AMMs"
• "What are the security considerations for a lending protocol?"

Code Review Mode

Submit code for review:

• "Review this withdrawal function for vulnerabilities"
• "Check this vault contract for inflation attacks"
• "Audit this oracle integration"

Build Mode

Get help building:

• "Help me build a token with buy/sell functionality"
• "Set up a staking contract with rewards"
• "Create an NFT minting page"

Debug Mode

Troubleshoot issues:

• "Why is my transaction reverting?"
• "How do I fix 'insufficient allowance' errors?"
• "Debug this reentrancy issue"

Contributing

To add new content:

1. Add markdown files to appropriate directory
2. Follow existing format (TLDR, code examples, security notes)
3. Update skill.json if adding new capabilities
4. Test with AI agent to ensure clarity

License

MIT License - Use freely for learning and building.

Credits

Built for the BuidlGuidl community.

Integrates knowledge from:

• SpeedRun Ethereum
• Scaffold-ETH 2
• OpenZeppelin
• Chainlink