Three rules before you start
Test tokens have no value
ethereum.org says testnet ETH is supposed to have no real value. If a site asks you to pay for it, something is wrong.
Never pay for a faucet
A faucet is a free web app that sends test tokens to an address. You may need to wait or sign in, but never pay.
Never connect your main wallet
Use a separate wallet with its own seed phrase. A testnet task never needs your real funds or your seed phrase.
What a testnet is, and why people take part
The ethereum.org glossary defines a testnet as short for test network, a network used to simulate the behaviour of the main Ethereum network. Developers use testnets to try protocol upgrades and smart contracts in a production-like environment before they reach the main network. Each chain, not just Ethereum, usually runs its own.
People join for three reasons. Some want to learn how wallets, bridges and apps work with no money at risk. Some want to help find bugs. Some hope for a later reward. The first two reasons are real and need no promise from anyone. The third is a bet, covered in the rewards section below.
An important detail: accounts work across networks, but balances and history do not. Your address exists on every EVM chain, but test tokens on one network are not the same thing as money on another. That is why ethereum.org advises against reusing mainnet accounts on testnets, and we give the same advice for security reasons.
The nine steps
Follow these in order. Every step has a safety angle, and the order is chosen so that the riskiest moments, such as entering network details, come after you have a clean wallet.
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Create a fresh wallet used only for testing
Generate a new wallet with its own seed phrase and never reuse your main wallet. ethereum.org advises against reusing mainnet accounts on testnets and the reverse. Store the new seed offline, and never type it into any website, form or chat.
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Confirm the programme from official sources
Open the project documentation from its official website, not from a social post or message, and find the testnet page. Write down the network name, the tasks, and any stated reward. If no official page mentions rewards, you are testing for the product, not for a promised payout.
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Add the test network from verified details
Take the network name, chain ID and RPC URL from the project docs, and cross-check them against a chain list such as Chainlist. MetaMask warns that it does not maintain the network data on Chainlist, so confirm the details yourself before adding them. Never add a network from a direct message.
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Get test tokens from a free faucet
A faucet sends free test tokens to an address you enter. Use the faucet linked from the project docs or listed on ethereum.org for the relevant network. You never need to pay to receive test tokens, and a faucet that asks for payment or a wallet connection with approvals is a warning sign.
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Bridge test assets only if the task needs it
Some programmes ask you to move test tokens between networks. Use only the bridge linked from the official docs and keep the amounts small. A bridge on a testnet moves tokens that have no value, so there is no reason for any step to touch your mainnet funds.
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Complete tasks the way a real user would
Work through the documented actions: swaps, transfers, deployments or app flows. Aim for varied, genuine use rather than the same click repeated. Where tasks are not listed, keep notes on what you tried and what happened, because that is what developers want.
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Report bugs and give useful feedback
Testnets exist to find problems. When something fails, record the steps, the transaction hash, the time and the error text, and send it through the channel named in the official docs. A clear bug report helps the team even if no reward follows.
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Keep records of everything you do
Log the date, network, wallet address, action, transaction hash and any fee. Records show what you did if a programme later asks, and they help with tax questions if tokens are ever distributed. A simple spreadsheet is enough.
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Review, then retire or archive the wallet
When the programme ends or you stop, revoke any approvals you granted, move nothing of value into the test wallet, and keep it separate. If the project announces a claim, reach it only from its official docs, and verify the domain twice.
Which testnet is which
On Ethereum itself, ethereum.org lists the current public testnets and their purposes. This matters because a project's instructions may name one of them, and old guides may name networks that no longer exist.
| Network | Purpose according to ethereum.org | Note for participants |
|---|---|---|
| Sepolia | Recommended default for application and contract development | Most app testing happens here |
| Hoodi | Testing validators, staking and protocol upgrades | Open validator set; slower to sync |
| Ephemery | Short-term testing; resets to genesis every 28 days | State is temporary, so do not rely on it |
| Holesky | Deprecated as of September 2025 | Use Hoodi for validator testing instead |
| Layer 2 testnets | Arbitrum Sepolia, Optimistic Sepolia and Starknet Sepolia are listed | Usually tied to Ethereum public testnets |
Other ecosystems, such as Solana, Cosmos and Ethereum itself, have their own test environments. Check each project's documentation and our ecosystem pages rather than assuming the Ethereum names apply.
Fake testnet sites and how they work
Because testnet tokens are worthless, you would expect no one to attack them. The attackers target the person, not the token. A fake faucet or "testnet dashboard" asks you to connect your real wallet, sign a message, or approve a contract. Nothing on a real testnet needs those from your main wallet. The table sets the pattern next to the real thing.
| Check | Genuine | Suspicious |
|---|---|---|
| Where you found it | Linked from the project's official docs | Search ad, direct message, replies to a post |
| Cost | Free | "Gas deposit", "verification fee", or a paid faucet |
| Wallet request | Connect to a test network and sign a test transaction | Asks to switch to mainnet or approve unlimited spending |
| Seed phrase | Never requested | Requested "to restore access" or "to verify" |
| Network details | Match the docs and a chain list | Different chain ID or an unfamiliar RPC |
| Reward language | Cautious and specific | Guaranteed payout, countdown timers |
Also be careful with RPC settings. MetaMask's guide notes that a custom RPC URL on several networks, including Ethereum, Linea, Base, Arbitrum and BNB Smart Chain, turns off Smart Transaction features such as MEV protection until you switch back to the default. If you use your main wallet app for testnets, you risk leaving that setting changed. That is another argument for a separate wallet profile or app. The same guide notes that networks do not sync across devices and are lost if you uninstall, so keep your own notes of what you added.
Our burner wallet guide shows how to build the separate wallet, and custodial versus non-custodial explains why your seed phrase must stay yours.
What rewards look like, and what is not promised
A testnet is not an airdrop unless the project says so. Berachain is a documented case where it did. Its overview says testnet users received 8,250,000 BERA, 1.65% of supply, based on interactions with native and ecosystem apps across the Artio and bArtio testnets, and the document does not describe an explicit Sybil-detection method for that allocation. The Berachain page on our site, Berachain, has the full breakdown.
That is one outcome. Many projects run a testnet and announce nothing. Others announce points, as covered in points programs explained. Editorial judgement, based on how these programmes usually go: do the testnet because you are curious or want to contribute, and treat any later reward as a bonus rather than a plan. See what a crypto airdrop is for how rewards are normally decided, and our testnet campaigns list to see which programmes currently have official terms.
Quality matters more than volume. Genuine feedback, clear bug reports and varied usage are what teams actually want, and what the better-documented drops rewarded. We cannot tell you what any future filter will count, so we do not pretend to.
A record template
Keeping a log costs a minute per session. Copy this header into a spreadsheet and fill one row per action. The copy button uses your clipboard only.
date,network,wallet,action,tx_hash,fee,notes,source_link
The source_link column should hold the official docs page that told you to do the task. If a claim ever appears, you will be able to see which tasks were official and which you did on your own initiative. If you later receive tokens, the tax guide explains why dated records help.
Pre-flight checklist
Before you connect to any testnet
0/8When you are done, start the next one from our latest list and apply the same checks. If you want to spread effort across programmes sensibly, the airdrop farming guide shows how to budget it.
Primary sources
Sources last checked 19 Oct 2026. Links open the project's own pages, not summaries from other sites.
- ethereum.org: networks and testnetsethereum.org
- ethereum.org glossaryethereum.org
- MetaMask Support: add a custom networksupport.metamask.io
- Berachain blog: airdrop overviewblog.berachain.com
Frequently asked questions
What is a testnet in crypto?
A testnet is a separate network that follows the same rules as a main network but uses tokens with no real value. Developers use it to test software before launch. ethereum.org defines it as a network used to simulate the behaviour of the main Ethereum network.
Do testnet tokens have any value?
They are supposed to have none. ethereum.org says testnet ETH is intended to have no real value, while noting that markets have formed for some that became scarce. Never pay for test tokens, and do not treat them as an investment.
Are testnet airdrops real?
Some are. Berachain, for example, allocated 8,250,000 BERA (1.65%) to testnet users based on activity across its Artio and bArtio testnets. Many testnets, though, never announce a reward, so participation is a bet on a project that has promised nothing.
How do I get testnet tokens?
Use a faucet, a web app that sends free test tokens to the address you enter. Take the link from the project docs or from ethereum.org network pages. A faucet should be free, and a legitimate one never asks for your seed phrase or a payment.
Is it safe to use my main wallet on a testnet?
It is better not to. ethereum.org advises against reusing mainnet accounts on testnets. Create a separate wallet with its own seed phrase so that a malicious site or approval cannot reach funds that have real value.
How do I add a testnet to my wallet?
Open the wallet network settings, choose to add a custom network, and enter the name, chain ID and RPC URL from the project official docs. MetaMask advises verifying the details yourself, since it does not maintain Chainlist data. Do not add networks suggested in messages.