The Final Countdown: Public Testnet + Professional Staking Round

Today, NuCypher enters the home stretch towards our mainnet launch.

Many of you have experimented with running nodes on private testnet deployments or built dapps on our public devnet. Starting now, we're unifying the two into a single public testnet, with external stakers and developers now using the same network running on the Görli Ethereum testnet.

Anyone can now receive testnet tokens and deploy nodes alongside professional staking operators like Bison Trails, Figment Networks, Staked, Infinity Stones, Cryptium Labs, Chainflow, Dokia Capital, Polychain Labs, Grassfed Networks, P2P Validator, Hashquark, Everstake, Blockdaemon, and hundreds of community members around the world. Over the next couple of months, with your help, we look forward to stress-testing the network and making it bulletproof for mainnet.

From here, we have a relatively clear road from public testnet to incentivized testnet to WorkLock token distribution to mainnet launch!

Run a Testnet Node

To run a testnet node, check out our Staking Guide and join the #staking channel in our Discord chat, where you can get technical support from our team and meet fellow stakers. You'll also be able to receive testnet tokens for staking in the #testnet-faucet channel.

Build Applications on the NuCypher Testnet

To build an application on the NuCypher Testnet, head to our Getting Started guide or check out some of the example apps to get started.

If you need help, please don't hesitate to ask in our Discord server.

Upcoming Incentivized Testnet

We're currently finalizing the designs for an incentivized testnet period later this year. We intend for the incentivized testnet to be a final stress-test prior to mainnet launch, and the following two principles are guiding the design process:

1. Maximize stakers engagement and useful feedback to further enhance the network's stability and capabilities.
2. Give competent stakers (especially those without the capital to purchase NU as stake) a merit-based way to earn stake in the network.

Stand by for more information on this in the coming weeks.

Professional Staking Round

We’d also like to take this opportunity to thank the staking partners who have committed to running NuCypher nodes through our $10,675,000 Professional Staking Round. These carefully selected participants represent a geographically diverse set of network participants with varying roles in the blockchain ecosystem. Led by Polychain Capital, participants include proof of work miners like Bitmain and Bitfury, traditional VCs like Y Combinator, Fenbushi Capital, Compound VC, Notation Capital, DHVC, and Hack VC, staking-as-a-service providers like P2P Cap, crypto funds like Hashed, Arrington XRP Capital, CoinFund / Grassfed Network, 1kx, Continue Capital, block0, Columbus Capital, BlockVC, Rogue Collective, Signal Ventures, Kosmos Capital, Distributed Fund, and Coefficient Ventures. These participants purchased $10,675,000 NU tokens (8% of initial supply) and have all agreed to stake-lock their tokens two years, guaranteeing a high level of stability and professional service to the NuCypher network.

Thank you!

We’re excited about the staking community that's emerging to support the NuCypher Network, many of whom have rich experience as validators for other demanding, high-profile protocols. It's shaping up to be one of the most diverse and sophisticated in the blockchain space, and we’re striving to set new standards when it comes to active staking participation. Thanks to all of you who have contributed via writing code, running nodes, or simply giving feedback - you have been instrumental in getting us to this point.