Build With Topl: Announcing Public Testnet Launch
Today, we are thrilled to officially announce the launch of Topl’s public testnet, marking a huge step in our journey to empower developers, builders, and innovators across the globe.
Our excitement extends beyond just showing you what we have been working on — we’re inviting our community to delve into the Topl tech stack and join us on the mission to build a new, more sustainable, and inclusive Bitcoin economy.
Topl’s Public Testnet & Its Key Features
Topl’s protocol is a modular, permissionless proof-of-stake (PoS) blockchain. It emphasizes security, energy efficiency, and functionalities that will allow Bitcoin to surpass its current capabilities, with a focus on transparency and scalability.
For now, the network operates independently from Bitcoin, designed for future integration in Q1.
We’d like to encourage you to dive in and explore some of the exciting features of the protocol through our public testnet. These are some we’re particularly excited about:
- Custom Asset Creation: Mint carbon credits, real-world assets (RWAs), and various custom assets, exploring the vast potential of blockchain applications.
- Unprecedented Asset Fungibility and Management: Delve into the nuances of asset fungibility, increasing both flexibility and utility within the blockchain ecosystem.
- Developer Tooling: With SDKs available in Dart, Scala, and TypeScript (coming soon) and a versatile command-line interface (CLI), Topl accommodates developers across various programming preferences. For Python enthusiasts, automation of CLI interactions is a streamlined option.
The public testnet is a testing ground as well as a community-driven platform where your ideas, feedback, and innovations will shape the future of the Topl network. We can’t wait to hear from you and your journey building on the testnet.
You can always reach out to us via Discord.
Topl’s Testnet vs. Toplnet
For builders looking to deploy more long-term projects, it’s worth distinguishing between two public networks within the Topl ecosystem: the testnet and Toplnet.
The testnet serves as an ideal starting point for builders. It’s a space where you can initially build, test, and refine your projects in a controlled environment without paying any fees.
The testnet is designed for experimentation, allowing developers to identify and resolve issues and gather feedback on their projects. However, it’s important to note that the testnet is subject to resets, and data on it is not intended for long-term persistence.
In contrast, Toplnet is tailored for more enduring projects. Think of it as the “frontier network” of our ecosystem, akin to Ethereum’s early stages. Unlike the testnet, Toplnet is a long-running network with no plans for resets, making it suitable for projects where data persistence is key.
Some of our ecosystem builders, such as MSI or Seedtrace, are already utilizing this network, having migrated from our previous private network iteration, Dion.
While we continue work and testing on our planned self-service faucet, we encourage developers interested in deploying on Toplnet to reach out directly to receive tokens from us. With this interaction, we can also better understand what you’re building and how best to support you.
The value of the temporary fee token on Toplnet won’t correspond to any value once Topl undergoes its token-generation event (TGE) and opens our bridge to the Bitcoin network. Once we transition to BTC-based fee tokens, these original tokens will not retain value, so holding onto them won’t yield future benefits.
Get Involved With the Testnet
The best starting point for developers looking to dive into Topl’s testnet is our CLI. It’s a practical and well-documented tool that forms the backbone of your initial interactions with our network.
A significant part of our ongoing development is focused on expanding our Software Development Kits (SDKs). We’re particularly excited about rolling out the TypeScript SDK, a move that’s been highly anticipated within our developer community. We understand the importance of having a range of tools at your disposal, so please let us know what you think and what programming languages and other features would make your experience smoother.
This is just the beginning of a series of planned enhancements to provide a more robust and versatile development environment. We’re excited to hear from our community and hope you join us on this journey!
To get started, check out our documentation and tutorials. Let’s #BuildGood!
