Casper Testnet

Introduction

A Casper Testnet has been bootstrapped with the following objectives:

• having a permissionless test environment that ecosystem participants can join and use in order to develop, test and tune their tools and applications that eventually target the Casper Mainnet, without the need for Mainnet tokens.

• providing the ability for the validator community to install and try out new versions of Casper node software, as well as alternative configurations of their nodes and node software, all in an environment where things “are allowed to break”.

• testing and providing access to upcoming protocol and eco-system tool changes, in order to ensure compatibility with existing applications once said changes deploy to the Casper Mainnet.

Incentivized Participation

Casper Association is inviting interested parties to participate in the Testnet and will offer incentive rewards to Testnet participants. The following will apply to incentivized participation:

1. It is intended that rewards will be distributed on the Testnet for a period of time. This will be ratified soon after Testnet is up. Everyone will have a chance to earn, but not everyone is guaranteed (nor is anyone entitled) to earn rewards.

2. Early and solid participation and node operation, as well as adherence to the Code of Conduct below, is the best way to ensure a chance at rewards.

3. Testnet Validators will be scored using an algorithm that takes uptime and liveness into account, among other factors. BEING IN THE TOP RANKS OF VALIDATORS BY STAKE WEIGHT WILL NOT BE A CRITERIA FOR EARNING REWARDS!

4. Anyone wishing to earn rewards will need to pass AML/KYC and register their Public Key as part of their participation.

Testnet Code of Conduct

It is mandatory that all participants adhere to the Testnet Code of Conduct below. Adherence is taken into consideration for reward calculation.

1. Join the Testnet Participants Telegram Group, and be responsive to Admin announcements.
2. Make sure your port 8888 is open to the public. It will be monitored for reward calculation purposes.
3. Once there are 50 or more participants on the network, maintain a stake that is below 6% of the network. There is no benefit to accumulating stake. It is not a reward criteria, and Testnet Tokens have no express or implied value whatsoever.
4. Stage and participate in node software updates before they are slated to take effect. This requires being attentive for and responsive to notifications in the Telegram channel.
5. If you have to take your node offline, unbond your stake first.
6. Follow the minimum Recommended Hardware Specifications
7. Participation is entirely at your own risk and you agree to hold Casper Association, and their employees, officers, directors, paid consultants and agents, harmless from any and all liability.

Please note that the Casper Testnet program is implemented by providing rewards through the Casper Association (CA), a not-for-profit, Switzerland-domiciled organization responsible for overseeing the Casper network and supporting its organic evolution and continued decentralization. MAKE Technology LLC is not affiliated with the Casper Association, and has no control over the program sponsorship or the incentivized reward program, and is hosting these guides and documents as a service to the Casper community only.