Join Our Incentivized Testnet

Incentivized testnet serves as the final test phase in Shardeum’s development, focusing on rigorous testing of prototype networks and featuring a pre-determined reward structure. This phase involves the community stress testing the network while our engineers address and resolve any issues that arise, resulting in a more robust and secure Shardeum. As we prepare for the mainnet launch, where real-world assets will be managed, this period is vital. It also brings us closer to our mission of enabling decentralization for everyone by making blockchain technology and Web3 accessible and affordable.

Similar to major software releases, testnets are often named following themes chosen by the community. Shardeum’s community prefers names of famous monuments, symbolizing collective achievements and contributions that resonate widely with its community. Previous phases were named Liberty and Sphinx. The name Atomium was voted by the community for incentivized testnet to continue this tradition. (The ‘Atomium’ testnet, inspired by the iconic structure’s symbolism of innovation, exemplifies Shardeum’s transformative solutions for decentralized blockchain technology and its accessibility).

Shardeum is a permissionless network which means anyone can participate in network operations, whether it is testing or running a node, in return for potential rewards. However, participants from certain countries, including the US and other sanctioned territories, are not eligible to participate in incentivized testnet. Additionally, all participants must continue to meet the ongoing eligibility requirements as outlined in our terms page, which we encourage you to review.

Stage 3 is set to run from October 1st for approximately 3-4 weeks, subject to network requirements. The Stage 3 quest campaign includes two types of tasks, as previously mentioned—On-chain and Validator tasks. These tasks are similar to those in Stage 2, allowing both returning and new participants to easily engage and complete them.

Atomium stage 3 campaign includes on-chain tasks and validator tasks, each sub-divided into further levels.

1. On-Chain Tasks: 

• Referral Program: Similar to our stage 2 quest campaign, you can boost your XP by referring friends. However, you must first complete all the on-chain tasks in Level 3 to become eligible for the referral program. Once completed, you can proceed with your referral by following the instructions on the referral page.
• Social Tasks: As in stage 1 and 2, users can participate in simple social tasks such as following Shardeum on X/Twitter, joining Shardeum’s Telegram group, subscribing to newsletter among others. You can further verify your activity completion on the quest page. (Users are required to complete these tasks again, even if they were completed during Stage 1 and 2)
• Unlock Referral Rewards Challenge: This will introduce you to an engaging challenge. Referral points for Level 1 will be awarded based on completion of this activity.
• Voting and Quiz Games: Users can participate in an interesting quiz-cum-voting game, similar to what was available in Stage 1 and 2.
• Tower Challenge and Wordle Games: The crowd favorite games will be continued in stage 3. Additionally, we may introduce a new quest allowing unlimited SHM transfers, giving you the chance to help us test the network’s performance under increased load.

2. Validator Tasks:

• Running node validators: In Stage 3, users can continue to run nodes by meeting predefined criteria. Minimum requirements and other essential details are available on the dedicated page for validator tasks.

Notes:

1. Social tasks and games will be released gradually throughout the Stage 3 campaign, with daily limits on game attempts. Be sure to check the quest tool daily for updates on new games and expanded limits, helping you boost your XP and climb the leaderboard
2.  The leaderboard for on-chain tasks will be refreshed every 24 hours, so we kindly ask for your patience in checking your XP points and ranking. The validator task leaderboard, along with the combined leaderboard for all levels in stage 3, will be available a few days after the conclusion of the Stage 3 campaign.

For on-chain tasks, you’ll have the opportunity to help test the network’s performance under increased load. This means you can transfer larger amounts of test SHM, play more games and quizzes, with higher daily attempt limits. Therefore, Stage 3 offers the perfect chance to maximize your XP points, climb up the leaderboard, for a chance to win exciting rewards.

The validator tasks in Stage 3 are also largely unchanged, with the key addition of slashing criteria. You can find more details about it in the FAQ section of the validator task page.

Yes, the validator leaderboard for stage 2 is live. The combined leaderboard for all on-chain and validator tasks is expected to be released after Stage 3.

Absolutely! Please visit our validator page and consult the FAQ section, where you can find answers to common questions.

The validator tasks in Stage 3 are largely unchanged, with the key addition of slashing criteria. Shardeum uses Proof of Stake consensus mechanism for sybil deterrence and enhanced network security. Thus, beyond the basic requirements like minimum hardware and staking amount, it’s critical that users adhere to additional best practices to ensure the network operates smoothly. If nodes fail to meet these standards, a portion of their staked tokens will be slashed or taken away. In the case of the Stage 3 validator quest campaign, your XP points will be penalized if your node violates/fails to meet any of the following slashing criteria

• Your node must not exit prematurely while in active validation status.
• Your node must sync in a timely manner.
• If your node is marked as lost by the network’s helper nodes, your node must respond, and resolve the issue within one cycle to successfully refute the status

This introduction of slashing criteria serves to simulate the mechanisms that will be active in the mainnet, testing their functionality in advance. Shardeum will release detailed slashing conditions and other network protocols for nodes to adhere to prior to the mainnet launch

Currently, only the activities listed on the quest landing page are eligible for rewards. Tasks performed outside of these specified activities will not qualify for rewards during incentivized testnet campaign.

No, a single wallet address can only operate one validator.

It can take up to a few minutes for the network to fully verify your completion status for certain complex tasks. Please refer to the task instructions for the specific waiting times required for these activities on the quest page. This waiting period is necessary to ensure your smooth flow of participating in the quest campaign.

Yes, to earn points from this level in stage 3, it is necessary for users who participated in these tasks during prior stages to complete them again.

You can find the endpoints of the Atomium network here.

To participate in the incentivized testnet campaign, ensure you are connected to the Atomium network. If you’re currently on the Sphinx network, first remove it from your MetaMask network settings. After removing the Sphinx network, click “Connect Wallet” in the top right corner to switch to the Atomium network. You can delete the Sphinx network by following this instruction.

Go to MetaMask settings > Networks > Select Shardeum Sphinx > Click on Delete

You can also manually add the Atomium network using the RPC endpoint shared above. This is especially for existing Shardeum users. New users should have no problem connecting to Atomium network when they connect the wallet.

Following these steps will typically resolve the issues you reported:

• Clear your browser cookies and cache
• Clear wallet Activity: Open MetaMask wallet -> Go to Settings -> Advanced -> Clear activity tab data

Throughout the Stage 3 quest campaign, we will progressively release new on-chain tasks to the community. There will be plenty of opportunities to engage, so stay tuned and make the most of the upcoming tasks!

Please note that both the schedule of activities and the points awarded for task completion will dynamically adapt throughout the testnet. These adjustments are designed to foster consistent participation across all stages & rewarding early participants.

If your preferred EVM wallet isn’t listed among the available options, you can use WalletConnect. Simply select WalletConnect, scan the QR code, and log in to connect your wallet to the Atomium network.

Incentivized testnet is scheduled to run in stages over the next few weeks to ensure the network achieves optimal stability and security. This staged approach allows us to gradually transition to the mainnet environment.The end or cut-off date for incentivized testnet will depend on the successful stress-testing of various network functionalities and the resolution of any issues that arise during this period.

Atomium, is structured into multiple stages:

– Each stage consists of multiple levels.
– Each level includes a list of activities that you need to complete.
– Each activity has a specific point value associated with it.
– Accumulate points to increase your chances of winning exciting rewards such as badges, NFTs, and airdrops among others

Each stage will have distinct objectives. Stage 1 will introduce participants to the network through foundational activities and testing coin transfers. Validators and on-chain contributors will be open to participate and stress test our network in stage 2. In stage 3 and beyond, you will help us to stress test other protocol functionalities in addition to P2P transfers and validator network. Our engineering team will address and resolve any issues identified by users or discovered during each stage of incentivized testnet. If necessary, we may temporarily pause the testnet quest campaign to resolve these issues before proceeding to the next stage.

Nodes that are found to engage in dishonest practices or attempt to manipulate the system on Shardeum will be disqualified from the incentivized testnet campaign.

This is applicable for all testnet participants. They must adhere to the rules and instructions provided for the quests, maintaining ethical practices and avoiding any fraudulent activities, including the use of bots, which will result in disqualification from earning rewards.

As you can find in our airdrop phase 1 article, we have allocated 3,296,500 tokens in total for incentivized testnet, benefiting both on-chain contributors and validators.

Upon meeting the eligibility requirements, you will have a chance to earn one or more of the following rewards:

• XP
• Badges
• Point Multipliers
• NFTs
• Surprise Rewards from Our Partners
• Special Offers from Our Partners
• SHM airdrop

One of the common criteria to win rewards such as badges, point multipliers and airdrops across our campaigns include – High performers who stand out while fulfilling the minimum eligibility criteria for each category. However to ensure wider participation, rewards will also be distributed to individuals who are randomly chosen from a pool of users meeting predefined criteria. This approach broadens the opportunity for rewards, ensuring that all eligible participants have a chance to benefit.

Following the successful completion of incentivized testnet and the resolution of issues identified during the testnet by our engineering team, Shardeum will proceed with the launch of its mainnet.

We are in the final stages of reviewing community contributions made during the phase 1 airdrop period of February 2, 2022 to June 22, 2024. The official announcement will be made closer to the mainnet launch.

While rewards are a strong incentive, Shardeum offers much more as a decentralized blockchain network designed to address the scalability trilemma. It is open, collaborative, and driven by its community. At Shardeum, you can run validator nodes, with 51% of the total SHM supply reserved for these nodes. Beyond daily operations, you can develop blockchain apps and solutions tailored to your users. And these are only a couple of use-cases among many more.

Thanks to Shardeum’s linear scalability, projects and dapps on our platform benefit from very high scalability and sustainably low gas fees.

Stage 1: Ran from June 26, 2024, to July 3, 2024, lasting 7 days.
Stage 2: Ran from August 8, 2024, to August 20, 2024, a duration of 12 days.
Stage 3: Scheduled to start on September 19, 2024, and is expected to last approximately 3-4 weeks. The exact end date will be announced in due course.

Stage 1: There was no campaign for validators during this stage.
Stage 2: Occurred from August 8, 2024, to August 20, 2024, lasting 12 days.
Stage 3: Scheduled to start on September 19, 2024, and is projected to run for about 3-4 weeks. The exact end date will be announced in due course.