# Closed Alpha Testing Phase #3
The **Cortensor Closed Alpha Testing Contest (Phase #3)** is a major step in expanding the decentralized AI network. This phase brings new enhancements, increased participant capacity, and a refined reward system. Early supporters and node operators continue to play a critical role in building a more scalable and robust AI infrastructure—while earning $COR rewards for their contributions.
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## Contest Rules
### Stake Requirement
* **New Participants**: Stake **4,000 $COR** per node on **Pool 3** to join Phase #3.
* **Pre-approved Testers**: Participants from **Phase #1 & #2** are automatically eligible and do not need to re-stake.
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### Node Uptime
Keep your nodes online and responsive for **30–45 days** to qualify for full rewards.
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### Bug Reporting
Active bug reporting and feedback are **required**. Participants must:
* Communicate with Cortensor admins
* Report bugs or performance issues
* Cooperate in troubleshooting
Failure to report or troubleshoot may lead to **disqualification**.
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### Disqualification Rights
Cortensor reserves the right to disqualify any participant at its discretion for:
* Misreporting node behavior
* Abusing the ranking or staking system
* Acting against the community’s best interests
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### Long-Term Commitment
Running stable nodes over time increases your chances of being eligible for:
* **Future airdrops**
* **Testnet & Mainnet whitelisting**
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## Rewards
| | | |
|---|
| Rank | Total Reward | On the Spot | Staked on Pool 1 |
| 🥇 1st | $50 | $1000 | $1500 (28-day lock) |
| 🥈 2nd | $50 | $400 | $600 (28-day lock) |
| 🥉 3rd | $50 | $200 | $200 (28-day lock) |
| 🏅 4th | $50 | $100 | $100 (28-day lock) |
| 🎖️ 5th | $50 | $100 | - |
| 6th–10th | $35 each | $50 | - |
| 11th-20th | $25 each | $35 | - |
| 21th-30th | $15 each | $20 | |
| 31th-100th | $10 each | | |
| 101th-150th | $5 each | | |
### Base Rewards
* **$20/month per active node** with valid uptime and participation.
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### Rank-Based Bonus Rewards
* **Ranks 1–100**: Bonus rewards based on performance.
* **Ranks 101–150**: Flat **$5 reward** per qualifying participant.
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### Multi-Node Bonus Boost
* **3+ nodes** → **10%** bonus
* **5+ nodes** → **20%** bonus
*Note: This multi-node bonus is applied to new nodes once during the contest period and not on a monthly basis. This is subject to change.*
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### Role Bonus
Participants with verified roles (e.g., **miner, oracle, verifier**) earn an additional **5–10%** on top of total rewards. \
\
\&#xNAN;***Note:** The total bonus from multi-node and role-based boosts is **capped at 40–50%** to ensure fair distribution and sustainability. This is subject to change.*
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#### Reward Tier Limits (Fair Distribution)
To maintain fairness, participants are limited in how many rank reward spots they can hold:
| **Rank Range** | **Max Spots per Operator** |
| -------------- | -------------------------- |
| 1st – 5th | 1 |
| 6th – 10th | 1 |
| 11th – 20th | 1 |
| 21st – 30th | 1 |
| 31st – 100th | 10 |
| 101st – 150th | Unlimited |
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### Example Calculations
**Scenario 1: Running 3 Nodes (With Role Bonus)**
* Base reward: $20 × 3 = **$60**
* Multi-node bonus (10%): **$6**
* Subtotal: **$66**
* Role bonus (10%): **$6.60**
* **Total: $72.60** + additional rank rewards
**Scenario 2: Running 5 Nodes (With Role Bonus)**
* Base reward: $20 × 5 = **$100**
* Multi-node bonus (20%): **$20**
* Subtotal: **$120**
* Role bonus (10%): **$12**
* **Total: $132** + additional rank rewards
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## Contest Mechanics
### Max Nodes Per User
Each participant may operate **up to \~25 nodes**.
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### Winner Determination
Participants will be ranked using multiple performance metrics:
* **NodeStats Performance**: Uptime, responsiveness, and throughput
* **Ping & Global Ping**: Regional and global latency
* **State Machine Metrics**: Quality in Create, Prepare, Precommit, Commit states
* **Task Counters**: Number and accuracy of completed inference tasks
* **Bug Reports**: Additional points for helpful reports
***
## Testing Focus
This phase continues refining Cortensor’s decentralized AI infrastructure, emphasizing improvements in reliability, user experience, and scalability. It also builds upon key architectural elements introduced in previous phases.
### **Core Testing Areas:**
* **Node Reputation Tuning & Iterations** – Ongoing optimization of reputation scoring models for fair and effective miner selection.
* **Node Pool Logic (Ephemeral Sessions)** – Enhancing ephemeral node reservation, assignment, and release cycles critical for routing user requests.
* **Session UI & Integrated Task Flow** – Testing seamless interactions between Session, Session Queue, and miners through user-facing workflows and updated interfaces.
* **Desktop App Stress-Testing** – Validating auto-install and launch performance across major operating systems (Windows, Linux, macOS) to support wide-scale participation.
### **Key Outcomes:**
* Improve accuracy and fairness in miner/node reputation scoring.
* Validate ephemeral session logic and reinforce the reliability of node rotation.
* Enhance user experience and end-to-end task handling across UI and backend flows.
* Ensure installation and runtime stability across different system environments for broader network accessibility.
## Join the Contest
* Learn more and stay updated by joining the [Cortensor Discord Community](https://discord.gg/cortensor).
Let’s build the future of decentralized AI together! 🌐
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