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.
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
Leaderboard -> View Testnet #1 Dashboard
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.
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
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