We Are Excited to Announce That We Have Successfully Launched Recast1 Devnet!

On a cold February day in Dublin, our engineers were huddled in a conference room clad in Recast1 hoodies. Suddenly, they erupted into cheers of elation.

On their computer terminal windows were the following messages:

A group of 7 Recast1 validator nodes were making blocks, 4 full nodes were following along, and light nodes were successfully syncing block headers and doing data availability sampling.

It was the culmination of a 3-month engineering sprint since the last team offsite. The first version of Recast1’s node software had been implemented and was working on a live network.

In fact, the network is still live! Check out the block explorer while it lasts.

Devnet Features

Let’s unpack what we built.

Devnet features three core components: recast-node, recastx-app and recastx.

The recast-node repo takes care of the consensus and networking for the blockchain. It’s how the full and light nodes make new blocks, sync new blocks and block headers, and of course sample data from blocks.

The recastx-app repo is where the state machine for the chain lives, which handles staking and transaction processing.

Recastx is the software that allows a Cosmos zone to deploy directly on Recast1, as a rollup. It spins up its own p2p network, collects transactions into blocks, and posts them onto Recast1 for consensus and data availability.

Devnet gave us an opportunity to test all the features across all the repos. They were not just working in isolation in a test environment, they were integrated with one another and deployed on a live network.

Towards Testnet

Launching devnet is a major milestone in the development of the Recast1 network. It puts us on track to launch a public testnet in the 3rd quarter of 2022.

Yes, you heard that right! If you’re interested to participate in testnet as a validator or developer, please indicate your interests on our waitlist form and we’ll get in touch when we’re ready for you.

Devnet Activities

The testnet, devnet, and mainnet descriptors effectively capture the major development stages of most protocols. The blockchain mainnet is always the active, publicly available version of the broader network. Blockchain testnets and devnets respectively provide alternate environments that mimic the function of the mainnet to allow developers the opportunity to build and experiment with projects without the higher stakes of live cryptocurrencies, miners, and transactions. Whether building decentralized applications (dApps), acting as a validator, testing smart contracts, or issuing new tokens, blockchain devnets and testnets can provide significant value to the blockchain mainnets they serve.

What Is a Devnet? Blockchain Development Network

Similar to the testnet, the development network or devnet operates independently of the mainnet. Although not every blockchain protocol utilizes both a devnet and a testnet, some differentiate these environments based on their intended use. For example, the Solana protocol asserts that the devnet functions as a “playground” for those looking to experience the protocol as a blockchain user, token holder, app developer, or network validator. In

contrast, the Solana blockchain testnet serves as an environment where recent releases undergo a stress test that focuses on network performance, stability, and the behavior of network validators.

As is the case with most testnet environments, devnet cryptocurrency generally has no “real” value, and devnet transactions require less computational effort than their mainnet equivalents. For devnet blockchains, users can also mine cryptocurrency or access faucet services to obtain coins. Alternatively, some protocols conduct airdrops to encourage developer participation to accelerate stress-testing. However, just as there are risks associated with testnet environments, blockchain devnets are also potentially subject to similar security threats. As such, users should exercise caution to ensure they aren’t unintentionally purchasing “worthless” devnet assets when they intend to purchase mainnet assets.