# Testnet Phase #1

Phase #1 marks Cortensor’s first full **Testnet cycle**, transitioning from controlled DevNet environments into **open, system-wide regression testing**.\
Building on the foundations of DevNet #6, this phase validates every major module — from router and miner coordination to payment and validation logic — under realistic network conditions.

This phase serves as the first step toward **Mainnet readiness**, confirming stability across both **Testnet-0 (Arbitrum Sepolia)** and **Testnet-1 (L3 COR Rollup)**.

***

### **Contest Rules**

**Stake Requirement**

* All participants must stake **6000 $COR per node (Pool 3)** to qualify for Testnet Phase #1.
* Nodes must remain staked and active throughout the testing window to receive rewards.

**Node Uptime & Performance**

* Maintain **continuous uptime** and responsiveness to all assigned sessions.
* Operate nodes capable of handling **expanded model routing, concurrent inference tasks, and validation reporting**.
* Nodes participating in both Testnet-0 and Testnet-1 environments must ensure correct registration and telemetry sync.

**Participation & Reporting**

Participants are expected to:

* Report bugs, anomalies, or performance regressions across any layer.
* Help validate **SessionPayment**, **NodePool**, and **Validator v2/v3** behavior under load.
* Provide structured feedback and logs through the official Discord and designated reporting channels.

**Disqualification Criteria**

Cortensor reserves the right to disqualify any node operator for:

* Misreporting uptime or falsifying telemetry data.
* Exploiting staking, reward, or routing mechanisms.
* Any conduct or manipulation that undermines testing fairness or network stability.

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### **Rewards**

**Base Reward**

* Base rewards are now **tied directly to Node Level**, split into three tiers:
  * **Level 0–3:** $20/month per node with qualifying uptime
  * **Level 4–7:** $25/month per node with qualifying uptime
  * **Level 8–10:** $30/month per node with qualifying uptime
* Qualification Requirements:
  * Active uptime during the entire test window
  * **Precommit Score ≥ 60 %**
  * **Node Level Success Rate**

**Role-Based Bonus**

* **+5 % per verified Discord role** (capped at 20 %).

**Node Level Bonus**

* Level-based bonus scales linearly (**+$0.50 per level**, 0–10):
  * Level 0 = $0 → Level 10 = $5 extra per node per month.

**Performance Prize**

* Additional $5 bonus for nodes meeting both:
  * **Total Score ≥ 50 %**
  * **Precommit Score ≥ 60 %**
  * Leaderboard → [View Testnet #0 Dashboard](https://dashboard-testnet0.cortensor.network/)
  * Leaderboard -> [View Testnet #1 Dashboard](https://dashboard-testnet1.cortensor.network/)

**Multi-Node Bonus (New Ops Only)**

* 3 + nodes → +10 % bonus
* 5 + nodes → +20 % bonus

***

### **Testing Focus**

Testnet Phase #1 centers on **system-integration, full app E2E validation, and load testing** across Cortensor’s live test networks.

**System-Wide Regression & End-to-End Validation**

* Validate the complete pipeline — **task creation → routing → inference → validation → payment → reputation**.
* Confirm correctness of cross-module communication among Router, Miner, Validator, and Dashboard layers.
* Stress test message queues, state sync, and contract-to-contract interactions under sustained workloads.

**NodePool Refactor & SLA Filter Foundation**

* Deploy the new **NodePool / NodePoolData** architecture.
* Begin testing **SLA classification**, enabling dynamic node weighting by reliability, latency, and PoI dispersion.
* Verify routing accuracy, inclusion/exclusion logic, and adaptive load balancing.

**Validator v2 / v3 Stability & GPU Transition**

* Continue validation under **Proof of Inference (PoI)** and **Proof of Useful Work (PoUW)** frameworks.
* Measure consistency of validator scoring across CPU vs GPU miners.
* Evaluate latency, determinism, and scoring convergence under multi-node redundancy.

**App E2E & Load Testing**

* Simulate **real application traffic** via Router Node API and public app endpoints.
* Validate **task queuing**, **parallel session handling**, and **payment execution** at increasing concurrency levels.
* Generate telemetry baselines for **throughput**, **average latency**, and **failure rates**.
* Measure network elasticity by dynamically scaling node counts and workloads.

**Dual-Testnet Operation (Arbitrum + COR Rollup)**

* **Testnet-0 (Arbitrum Sepolia):** fast iteration and gas-usage profiling.
* **Testnet-1 (L3 COR Rollup):** COR-native execution and validator feedback loop testing.
* Load distribution: \~80 % Testnet-0 / 20 % Testnet-1.
* Confirm stability of bridge events, indexer sync, and dashboard telemetry aggregation.

**Dashboard & Telemetry**

* Validate expanded views for miner participation, validator breakdowns, and SLA performance.
* Ensure data from both testnets is accurately merged in real time across indexers.

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### **Key Outcomes**

* Confirm stable dual-testnet operation and cross-network coordination.
* Validate NodePool refactor as foundation for SLA routing and node classification.
* Achieve consistent PoI / PoUW validator scoring across CPU and GPU nodes.
* Establish end-to-end app validation under real load with telemetry baselines.
* Verify cross-module integration (Session → Router → Payment → Validator).
* Produce performance metrics for latency, throughput, and task success rates.
* Finalize stability benchmarks ahead of Testnet Phase #2 expansion.

***

Push the boundaries of decentralized AI.\
**Testnet Phase #1** lays the groundwork for a verifiable, high-performance AI execution network where every inference and validation becomes trustless, measurable, and scalable.

**Join Cortensor Discord:** [discord.gg/cortensor](https://discord.gg/cortensor)


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