Live: Testnet for Smart Contracts on Unstablenet Platform Now Active
Unstablenet, a dedicated smart contract testnet, was launched on July 24, 2025, by Shardeum. This testnet is designed as a sandbox environment for developers to build, experiment with, break, and refine smart contracts and decentralized applications (dApps) on Shardeum's Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM)-compatible Layer 1 blockchain [1][2].
Key Features of Unstablenet
Unstablenet offers several key features to facilitate smooth smart contract development:
- EVM Compatibility: Developers can write Solidity smart contracts using familiar tools, making the transition seamless.
- Simulated Blockchain Features: Unstablenet mimics Shardeum's autoscaling Layer 1 blockchain features, such as near-linear scalability, seamless token and stake transfers, and very low transaction fees (under $0.01). This allows developers to anticipate mainnet behavior.
- Experimentation Focus: Unstablenet is designed for experimentation, enabling developers to "build, break, and refine" without risking real assets or affecting the main network's stability.
- Community Growth: Unstablenet supports developer engagement and community growth ahead of or alongside mainnet activity.
Differences from Shardeum Mainnet
While Unstablenet shares many similarities with the Shardeum mainnet, there are some key differences:
- Transaction Environment: Unstablenet is a testing environment, not intended for real-value transactions or production use, while mainnet operates with live economic activity.
- Transaction Fees: Transaction fees and network conditions on Unstablenet may be simulated or subsidized; mainnet fees are real but remain very low.
- Finality, Security, and Decentralization: Mainnet guarantees finality, security, and decentralization for actual user assets; Unstablenet prioritizes flexibility and developer experimentation, which can allow instability or resets.
- User Base: Mainnet has a growing user base of over 1 million users, giving a head start on real-world application usage and token economies, which Unstablenet does not have [1][2].
Interacting with Unstablenet
To start interacting with Unstablenet, users need a wallet like MetaMask configured with specific RPC details. The RPC endpoint for Unstablenet is https://api-unstable.ourwebsite.org. When adding Unstablenet endpoints to MetaMask, you may see the suggested network name as "our website Liberty 1.x". You can rename it locally as "our website Unstablenet" in your wallet settings [1].
Engaging with the Unstablenet Community
Unstablenet encourages community engagement through various channels. Users can create engaging content, such as tutorials and educational resources, to help promote the website. Bug reporting and feedback can be submitted through a bug reporting channel on Discord. Participation in upcoming quests, interactive dApp contests, and bounties is also encouraged [1].
Future Developments
The roadmap for Unstablenet includes support for community-run nodes and the introduction of incentives to recognise and support community contributions. The website plans to launch a dedicated smart contract testnet named Unstablenet on July 24, 2025 [2]. The explorer URL for Unstablenet is https://explorer-unstable.ourwebsite.org/ [2].
Stay Updated
Users can follow the website's official social channels for real-time updates and announcements related to Unstablenet [1]. Fixes and feature updates will be rolled out progressively by the tech team as they are ready [1].
[1] - Our Website [2] - Unstablenet Announcement
Technology plays a crucial role in Unstablenet, a dedicated smart contract testnet, as it allows developers to write Solidity smart contracts using familiar tools, thanks to EVM compatibility [1]. To interact with Unstablenet, users require a wallet like MetaMask, configured with specific RPC details, such as the Unstablenet RPC endpoint: https://api-unstable.ourwebsite.org [1].
