Shardeum Unstablenet

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Shardeum has launched Unstablenet, an EVM-based smart contract testnet that lets you develop, test, and deploy dApps - and play a role in shaping the world’s first autoscaling smart contract platform with low fees permanently.

World's first autoscaling smart contract platform!

One Step Closer to Smart Contract Platform

Mainnet (Token Transfers)

Shardeum's mainnet was launched on May 5, 2025 with token transfer, validator functionalities and transaction fees under $0.01.

EVM Smart Contract Testnet

Unstablenet will help bring smart contracts to the network - enabling developers and users to build and deploy dApps with ultra-low fees and virtually limitless scalability.

EVM Smart Contract Live

After successful stress testing of smart contracts with developers and users, the feature will be rolled out on Shardeum’s mainnet.

Shardeum Testnets

A Preview of the Future of Web3

Network Growth Metrics

247K+

Smart Contracts

1.2MN+

Accounts

81MN+

Transactions

150+

Ecosystem Projects

Community Growth Metrics

1.4MN+

Community Members

250K+

Newsletter Subscribers

450+

Proof of Community Events

Community-led Shardeum Leagues

FAQs

1. What is the planned duration of Unstablenet, and when will smart contracts launch on mainnet?

Unstablenet does not have a fixed end date and is expected to run long-term. It will continue to serve as a space for early previews of upcoming features and ongoing testing.

As for launching smart contract functionality on Shardeum mainnet, it will go live once the testnet phase is successfully completed.

2. Why does MetaMask or Chainlist show “Shardeum Liberty 1.x” instead of Unstablenet?

When adding Unstablenet endpoints to MetaMask, you may see the suggested network name as “Shardeum Liberty 1.x”. This is due to the chain ID (8080) being previously used for an older testnet. You may rename it locally as “Shardeum Unstablenet” in your wallet settings if desired.

3. Why does gas estimation default to 3 million for smart contract calls?

This is a known limitation in our current gas estimation mechanism, which defaults to a fixed value of 3 million. If you encounter issues with transactions not going through, try setting a higher custom gas limit manually. Only the actual gas used during execution will be deducted from your test balance.

4. Is there a boilerplate or template I can use to build and test dApps?

Yes. Our engineering team has created a starter suite of dApps for the community, called the Shardeum DApp Playground. You can use it to deploy smart contracts, test features, and build dApps on Unstablenet. Build, break and repeat 🙂

Shardeum’s developer documentation will also be continuously updated to include new features and insights from the community.

5. Will Unstablenet follow a week-by-week testing schedule, or will updates and fixes be rolled out as needed?

Fixes and feature updates will be rolled out progressively by the tech team as they are ready.

6. Will the community be able to run nodes on Unstablenet?

Yes, support for community-run nodes is on the roadmap. While it won’t be available initially at launch, we intend to transition Unstablenet into a community-operated testnet.

7. Are there any reward or grant programs available currently?

There are no reward programs yet, however we plan to introduce incentives to recognize and support contributions to Unstablenet soon. Details will be announced in advance so everyone has a fair opportunity to get involved.