The Beginners Guide to Using an Ethereum Test Network (2024)

Before a project launches on the Ethereum blockchain (or before changes are made to the blockchain itself), a version is deployed to an Ethereum Test Network (“testnet”), which simulates Ethereum — this gives developers, the community, and you a chance to kick the tires before real assets are involved.

Ether and tokens on a testnet are easy to obtain, and carry no real-world value — still, it can be fun to own 10,000 Ether or a trillion tokens on a testnet.

There are three testnets currently in use, and each behaves similarly to the production blockchain (where your real Ether and tokens reside). Developers may have a personal preference or favorite testnet, and projects typically develop on only one of them.

  • Ropsten: A proof-of-work blockchain that most closely resembles Ethereum; you can easily mine faux-Ether.
  • Kovan: A proof-of-authority blockchain, started by the Parity team. Ether can’t be mined; it has to be requested.
  • Rinkeby: A proof-of-authority blockchain, started by the Geth team. Ether can’t be mined; it has to be requested.

Ethereum addresses & private keys that work on Ethereum, work on each testnet — be extremely careful not to send Ether or tokens on the Ethereum main-net to a testnet address, or you will lose your assets.

Before proceeding, Compound recommends creating a new wallet specifically for use on testnets; you’ll never accidentally send Ether, if you don’t have Ether.

The Beginners Guide to Using an Ethereum Test Network (3)

MetaMask

Using MetaMask to send Ether and tokens on a testnet is straightforward; in the top-left of MetaMask, you can select an Ethereum network.

Switch from the Main Ethereum Network to Rinkeby (or other testnet) and you should see your balances and transaction history update, to reflect the network you’ve selected.

Now, when you create a transaction using MetaMask, it will be transmitted to the network you’ve selected.

MyEtherWallet & MyCrypto

The Beginners Guide to Using an Ethereum Test Network (4)
The Beginners Guide to Using an Ethereum Test Network (5)

MyEtherWallet and MyCrypto similarly allows you to select an alternate network, in the top right of the screen. When you do so, all transactions, and contract calls are conducted on the network that you’ve chosen.

It’s time to load up your new account with faucet Ether.

Kovan

The Kovan Faucet requires you to provide your Github account credentials to Parity, and allows you to request Kovan Ether once every 24 hours.

The Beginners Guide to Using an Ethereum Test Network (6)

Rinkeby

The Rinkeby Faucet requires that you make a social media post including your address on either Facebook, Twitter or Google Plus. Once you do so, put the direct link to that post in the input box and select 18.75 Ethers / 3 days from the dropdown on the right.

The Beginners Guide to Using an Ethereum Test Network (7)
The Beginners Guide to Using an Ethereum Test Network (2024)

FAQs

How to use ETH testnet? ›

Using MetaMask to send Ether and tokens on a testnet is straightforward; in the top-left of MetaMask, you can select an Ethereum network. Switch from the Main Ethereum Network to Rinkeby (or other testnet) and you should see your balances and transaction history update, to reflect the network you've selected.

What is the best test network for ETH? ›

Ethereum testnets

For development, its recommended you use the Rinkeby or Kovan test networks. This is because they use a Proof of Authority (PoA) consensus mechanism, ensuring transactions and blocks are created in a consistent and timely manner.

What is the Ethereum test network? ›

Ethereum testnets are public blockchain networks that simulate the Ethereum mainnet. They are used by developers to test smart contracts, applications, and network upgrades before deploying them to the mainnet. This helps to prevent errors and ensure that everything is working as expected.

Is Ethereum testnet free? ›

Get free testnet ETH sent directly to your wallet. Brought to you by Google Cloud for Web3.

How do I run a testnet? ›

Running a local testnet
  1. Create the required directories.
  2. Initialize the first node.
  3. Initialize the second node.
  4. Set up the genesis file.
  5. Submit the genesis transaction.
  6. Fix port conflicts.
  7. Copy the genesis file.
  8. Start the first validator node.

What can I do with testnet? ›

A testnet operates as an independent blockchain network designed for testing. Here, developers and users can trial a cryptocurrency project's functionality and security in a controlled environment, distinct from the main network.

How to get holesky ETH? ›

Step-by-Step Guide
  1. Enter your wallet address. First, enter your wallet address.
  2. Complete the captcha. To verify that you're a real person and not a bot, you'll need to complete the captcha.
  3. Share the request ID on Twitter. ...
  4. Wait for your request to be processed. ...
  5. Receive your tokens.

What is the best testnet for crypto? ›

Goerli is one of the most popular testnets among Ethereum developers because of its stability, speed, and low transaction fees. Important Note: Goerli will be deprecated in Q1 2023 but will be supported until Q4 2023, so developers and users should migrate to Sepolia for testing and development purposes.

How to get free ETH for testing? ›

How to use Alchemy Faucets
  1. Select your faucet. Choose a testnet that best fits your development needs. ...
  2. Sign in with your Alchemy account. To request funds, simply sign into your Alchemy account, enter your wallet address, and hit “Send Me ETH” or “Send Me MATIC”.
  3. Get funds every 24 hours.

How to get Ethereum testnet coins? ›

How to Obtain Test Coins
  1. On the "Browser" page of imToken, enter "https://testnetbridge.com" to access TestNet Bridge, a web for the cross-chain swap of Sepolia test coins.
  2. Click "CONNECT" at the bottom of the page and select "imToken" to link your wallet.
  3. Select the payment network and enter the purchase amount.
Apr 16, 2024

How to do testnet airdrop? ›

Step 1: Prepare a wallet compatible with the protocol. Step 2: Search where to obtain testnet tokens. Step 3: Do transactions on the test networks using the testnet tokens, including trading, staking, lending, and more. Step 4: Submit a report to the developers, if needed.

What is the best Ethereum network? ›

Polygon. Standing at the forefront of Ethereum layer-2 solutions, Polygon has established itself as a leader in this space. Its ability to offer scalability while ensuring security has made it a go-to platform for developers and projects.

Can I make money from testnet? ›

Rewards vary from tokens to substantial payouts based on issue severity. Test and offer feedback: Actively using and testing software on the testnet allows users to provide valuable feedback to developers. This feedback can contribute to project improvement and potentially lead to rewards or recognition.

What is the most used Ethereum testnet? ›

Developers use testnet faucets to obtain testnet funds to deploy, test, and interact with a smart contract or protocol on a blockchain testnet. As of writing, the most popular EVM testnet is Ethereum Sepolia.

How to setup Ethereum testnet? ›

To recap this short guide, you:
  1. Created a local Ethereum testnet over Docker using Kurtosis.
  2. Connected your local dApp development environment to the local Ethereum network.
  3. Deployed a dApp and ran a simple test against it on the local Ethereum network.
  4. Configured the underlying Ethereum network to have 3 nodes.

How to transfer ETH from testnet to Mainnet? ›

Nothing from the test network can be migrated to mainnet. The chain data is different for both Execution and Consensus, so you must remove the old chain data and resync the mainnet chains from scratch. Your validators on the testnet do not carry over to mainnet.

How do I use testnet wallet? ›

It involves entering your wallet address into a faucet tool to receive the free tokens. Once reached, simply paste your wallet address into the textbox and hit “Send Funds.” This will send funds from the faucet to your testnet wallet. The transaction should take around 30 seconds.

How do I deploy on ETH testnet? ›

Click the “Deploy” button to deploy your smart contract to the testnet. Follow the prompts in your Ethereum wallet to confirm the transaction. Once the transaction is confirmed, you should see a new “Deployed Contracts” section appear at the bottom of the “Deploy & Run Transactions” panel.

How do I add testnet ETH to MetaMask? ›

Acquire testnet LINK
  1. Open up MetaMask.
  2. At the bottom of the MetaMask windows, click Import tokens.
  3. Find the LINK token contract address for the network that you want to use. ...
  4. Paste the token contract address into MetaMask in the Token Address input. ...
  5. Click Next. ...
  6. Click Import Tokens to confirm adding the new token.

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