Starting February 1, 2024, two updates to the Hedera Testnet environment will be available: A new anonymous faucet for developers and changes to the Hedera portal. The goal of these updates is to enhance the developer experience and optimize the allocation of resources, reflecting the ongoing commitment to the builder community and the efficient management of the Hedera network.
This faucet enables developers to anonymously collect up to 100 testnet HBAR every 24 hours. Users can simply enter the ID or EVM address of their Hedera Testnet account to receive the test tokens. This change is particularly aimed at easing the process of building and testing applications on the Hedera network, providing developers with a smoother and more efficient start. This workflow may also be familiar to those experienced in developing on other networks.
The refill process for Hedera Testnet accounts created through the Hedera Portal is also changing. The automatic daily allocation is now 1,000 testnet HBAR with a manual request for refill (clicking a button) per 24-hour period. This amount could be adjusted in the future.
This change ensures that after February 1 and after each subsequent testnet reset, all Hedera Portal accounts start with a balance of 1,000 testnet HBAR. Accounts are topped up to 1,000 testnet HBAR only when the user clicks to request more test tokens from the Hedera Portal or when a quarterly Testnet reset occurs. Only 1 refill request can be made in a 24-hour period.
In addition, Personal Access Tokens (commonly known as API keys) are also available from the Hedera Portal. These API keys facilitate re-creating accounts and querying for account ID information programmatically after testnet and previewnet resets.
These changes are driven by the feedback and needs identified within the ecosystem of application builders on the network. The goal is to continuously improve the development experience on Hedera, ensuring that Hedera Testnet resources are distributed efficiently and fairly, minimizing potential disruptions and maximizing utility for all users.
Reduced Friction: The new anonymous faucet significantly lowers the entry barrier for developers, providing fast and easy access to testnet HBAR, and the API keys eliminate the need to manually recreate accounts after resets. With these changes developers can start building and testing more quickly on Hedera - whether it’s their first time or after a reset.
More Privacy: Aligning with the practices in the public blockchain space, the new faucet eliminates the need for personal information disclosure, providing more privacy for devs.
Efficient Use of Resources: The adjustments in testnet HBAR allocation and the manual refill for Portal accounts are designed to encourage responsible usage of shared resources. This will help maintain the stability and functionality of the public test networks while reducing disruptions for all testers.
Network Growth and Innovation: Improving both the developer experience and privacy will attract new builders to the Hedera ecosystem. This is a great way to encourage growth and innovation in our network.
Continue Testing Extensively: The new allocation and refill process enable developers to keep testing their applications extensively. Hedera offers low USD-fixed transaction costs, and the HBAR token is highly divisible (100,000,000 tℏ = 1ℏ). This means that, on average, you can execute thousands of transactions and try many test cases in a 24-hour period. For more details, be sure to review the documentation on Transactions and Query Fees and HBAR Denominations and Abbreviations.
Faster Start and More Privacy: The faucet is a major step towards better developer privacy and making the Hedera Testnet more accessible to a wider range of developers, including those familiar with the concept of faucets from other decentralized networks. Be sure to check out the Getting Started documentation for details on working with the faucet.
Starting February 1, 2024, a new testnet faucet enables developers to anonymously collect up to 100 testnet HBAR every 24 hours. Also, the allocation of testnet HBAR for Hedera Portal accounts is now 1,000 tokens every 24 hours with a manual button click. Finally, developers can now re-create accounts and query account ID information programmatically after testnet and previewnet resets using their Hedera Portal API keys.
These changes to the Hedera testing environment reflect the commitment to providing a developer-friendly, efficient, and robust platform for developing decentralized applications. It is exciting to see the positive impact these updates will have on the developer journey and on the Hedera ecosystem.
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