This is the first of several Sui test networks we will launch and a big step in offering robust services to developers and businesses.
The goals of this initial release for Sui are twofold:
- Gain operational experience with the Sui software in a public setting
- Give early Sui developers a test platform to build on
*Please note that we are prioritizing the former goal over the latter one in the early going: there will be no release schedule, no backward compatibility and no SLA for network resets. We welcome early builders, but cannot promise stability just yet. Our team is heavy at work to create the best building experience with stable conditions.
Concretely, here is what we are launching:
- A four-validator network with all nodes operated by Mysten Labs. Clients send transactions and read requests via a CLI wallet.
- A public network explorer for browsing the DevNet transaction history.
- A Discord channel for requesting test coins that can be used to pay for gas on the test network. These coins have no financial value and will disappear each time we reset the network.
To start building on the DevNet, please check out:
If you run into issues with the DevNet or have questions, please reach out in Discord!
What’s next
In the coming weeks, we will continue to make several improvements to DevNet, including:
- Full node support. We will complete our full node software and publish instructions for running a third-party full node.
- Gateway service support. Today, the DevNet proxies all requests to validators through a gateway service hosted by Mysten. This is a temporary measure required to support the Sui explorer, but once we have full nodes, we can allow clients and third-party full nodes to connect directly to validators. In addition, clients will be able to run their own gateway services to serve as an important building block for wallets and other infrastructure.
- Browser wallet support. Today, clients interact with the DevNet via a CLI wallet. This is suitable for developers, but end-users need something a bit more approachable. We will publish a prototype of a browser plugin wallet that fits this niche. We are very excited about next-gen wallet features like human-readable signing requests, but those will come later.
- Event subscription support. Users and applications need to be notified about happenings in elsewhere in the Sui network. For example, a seller might want to know when their listed NFT has sold. We are working on a prototype subscription service that application and wallet developers can use for this.
- Opening up the faucet. We will expose a public endpoint for requesting test coins rather than asking folks to go through our Discord channel.
- Better application developer experience. TypeScript, Rust, and C# SDK’s are in the works. We are making progress on improving IDE support for Move. In addition, we will keep cranking out tutorials and demos so builders can learn by example.
- Calibrating gas costs. The current costs of instructions and storage are somewhat arbitrary. We will carefully calibrate them to reflect the underlying machine costs.
Path to Testnet
We are working on plans for a Sui incentivized testnet with third-party validators in addition to Mysten-operated ones. Running a full node in DevNet will be a prerequisite for joining as a Sui validator in testnet, so watch out for upcoming instructions on this.
We’re thrilled about this first step towards a production Sui network and look forward to building, debugging, and learning with our community!
