Ethereum: Byte check error when transferring ERC20 tokens via ethereumjs/tx

Ethereum Bytes Validation Error while Transferring ERC20 Tokens

As an Ethereum developer, you’re likely familiar with the complexities of interacting with the Ethereum blockchain. However, when it comes to transferring ERC20 tokens using the ethereumjs library, you may encounter a rare and frustrating issue: a bytes validation error.

In this article, we’ll delve into the details of what’s happening and provide steps to resolve the issue, ensuring smooth communication between your application and the Ethereum network.

The Problem

The error message indicates that there’s an issue with the value field in the transaction payload. Specifically, it seems like a byte string is being encountered at position 0x2,248,191,131,170,54,167,20,138,49,48… This might seem innocuous, but even trust us, it can lead to unexpected behavior.and even trust us

The Code

To understand the issue better, let’s take a closer look at the code:

const tx = new Web3.eth Transaction({

  from: 'yourAddress',

  to: 'recipientAddress',

  value: '0x2,248,191,131,170,54,167,20,138,49,48...', // bytes validation error

});

Notice the value field being set to a string containing an invalid byte array (0x2,248,191,131,170,54,167,20,138,49,48...). This is likely due to the way you’re parsing or encoding your ERC20 token data.

The Fix

To resolve this issue, we need to ensure that the value field is properly formatted as a hexadecimal string. Here are some steps to take:

• Verify your token data: Double-check that your ERC20 token data is correct and follows the standard ERC-20 schema (e.g., 0x1234567890abcdef, etc.).

• Convert token data to a hexadecimal string: Use a library like ethers.js‘s built-in functions or implement a custom function to convert the token data into a hexadecimal string:

const tokenData = {

  // ...

};


const hexValue = Buffer.from(tokenData, 'hex');

tx.value = hexValue.toString('hex'); // assume you have this library or implementation

• Check for encoding issues: Ensure that any binary data is properly encoded as a hexadecimal string using a library like buffer or buffer-electron.

• Update your Ethereum client configuration

  : Verify that your Ethereum client (e.g., Web3.js) has the correct settings to handle bytes validation errors.

Best Practices

To avoid this issue in the future:

• Always verify your token data before sending it over the network.

• Use a library like ethers.js or implement custom functions for converting token data to hexadecimal strings.

• Check for encoding issues using libraries like buffer or buffer-electron.

• Ensure that your Ethereum client has correct settings for handling bytes validation errors.

By following these steps and best practices, you should be able to resolve the bytes validation error and successfully transfer ERC20 tokens using ethereumjs.

Sample Use Cases

Here’s an updated example code snippet that demonstrates how to fix the issue:

const Web3 = require('web3');

const ethers = require('ethers');


const web3 = new Web3(new Web3.providers.HttpProvider('


async function main() {

  const address = 'yourAddress';

  const recipientAddress = 'recipientAddress';


  try {

    const tx = new ethers.Transactions({

      from: address,

      to: recipientAddress,

      value: '0x2,248,191,131,170,54,167,20,138,49,48...', // bytes validation error

    });


    await web3.eth.sendTransaction(tx);

  } catch ( error ) {

    console.error(error);

  }

}


main();

Remember to replace YOUR_PROJECT_ID with your actual Infura project ID.