Exploring the Bitfinity Blockchain: A Comprehensive Testnet Tutorial

Testnets play a crucial role in the development of decentralized applications (Dapps) by providing a cost-effective and secure environment ready for testing.

In this comprehensive guide, we will explore the Bitfinity testnet, its purpose, and how you can access BFT testnet tokens to simulate transactions and check your transactions on the Bitfinity EVM explorer.

Are you ready to learn more and start testing with BFT tokens on the Bitfinity testnet? Let's begin.

What is a Testnet?

First of all, what exactly is a testnet? Well, essentially, it is a clone of the yet-to-be-deployed network that is used primarily for development and testing purposes rather than real transactions involving actual value.

This allows developers to simulate a live network environment and enables the creation, design, and testing of projects and smart contracts without incurring high transaction costs or the potential of losing real value.

Testnets are invaluable for developers and everyone who wants to take a sneak peek at the new Bitfinity ecosystem. They mirror the network and serve as experimental platforms, providing a secure, controlled environment to:

• Test smart contracts and applications: Developers can see how their projects function in real-world conditions without financial risk.
• Examine network upgrades: Before updates are applied to the mainnet, they can be thoroughly tested on testnets to ensure they don't disrupt the network.
• Gather feedback: Sharing projects on testnets allows developers to receive insights and suggestions from peers, which can enhance the final product.

What is Bitfinity?

The Bitfinity environment consists of the Bitfinity Engine, a high-performance EVM—Ethereum Virtual Machine—and the Neuro Bridge, facilitating trustless transfer of ETH and ERC-20 tokens between Ethereum and Bitfinity.

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The Bitfinity EVM significantly enhances transaction speeds within the Ethereum ecosystem, boasting an impressive average block time of about 1 second and transaction finality in roughly 2 seconds, with a low cost of $0.02 per transaction.

While traditional Ethereum processes transactions slower and at higher costs, the Bitfinity EVM aligns closer to high-performance blockchains like Solana, which offers sub-second block times and minimal fees. This makes the Bitfinity EVM an attractive platform for developers seeking efficient and cost-effective solutions for scalable blockchain applications.

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What are Testnet Tokens?

Testnet tokens are used to simulate transactions on their respective testnets. These tokens have no real-world value but can benefit developers or curious users who want to see what the capabilities of the network are by paying for gas fees.

Testnet Faucets

Testnet faucets are web applications that provide free testnet tokens. Users simply input their wallet addresses, and the faucet delivers a small amount of tokens to cover transaction costs on the testnet.

How to Mint Bitfinity Testnet Tokens?

Bitfinity offers a straightforward and efficient faucet service, free from unnecessary sign-ups and verifications, which supports the Bitfinity testnet and is an excellent resource for anyone looking to obtain BFT testnet tokens easily.

To secure testnet BFT and other custom tokens, you can follow these steps:

Step 1: Visit the Bitfinity Testnet Faucet. On the faucet page, you will see two "Mint test tokens" buttons, each with a distinct function:

1. The first button, when clicked, will mint native tokens. These are the tokens that can be used to execute transactions on the testnet, send native tokens, and pay gas fees.
2. The second button will mint custom ERC20 tokens that are deployed specifically for testing the Uniswap interface. These tokens can be used for swapping and creating liquidity pools on the deployed Uniswap testnet.
   
   These test tokens are custom tokens that users can experiment with in the testnet Uniswap we have deployed; otherwise, they do not have much functionality.

Step 2: Make sure you have MetaMask installed and connected to the Bitfinity Testnet.

Step 3: Now that you are connected, you can start minting your desired tokens. As mentioned above, you need to mint native tokens and/or custom tokens (to your choosing) from the list provided below.

The token contract address will be automatically filled in, which you can verify to ensure it matches the official Bitfinity token contract on the Bitfinity Testnet.

Step 4: Click on the "Mint Test Tokens" button to initiate the token minting process.

• When you mint native tokens, you won't get any prompt as this is a native token.
• When you mint custom ERC20 tokens, MetaMask will prompt you to confirm the transaction. Review the transaction details, including the gas fee, and click "Confirm" to proceed.

Step 5: Wait for the transaction to be processed and confirmed on the Bitfinity Testnet. This may take a few moments.

Step 6: Once the transaction for custom tokens is confirmed, you will either see a;

• For custom token mints, a success message will appear on the faucet, along with the transaction hash (TX Hash), which can be clicked to view the transaction details on the Bitfinity Testnet blockchain explorer.
• For native token mints, there will be no message on the faucet, but the TX Hash can be found on the explorer if you check your transaction history.

Step 7: Open your MetaMask wallet and check the "Assets" tab.

• For native tokens, you don't need to do anything as the token is already reflected in MetaMask (BFT).
• For the custom tokens, you can either click "Add to wallet," which will automatically import the token, or you can import them manually by using the contract address that can be found on the Faucet

Testing by Sending BFT

To test the functionality of the minted BFT tokens, create a secondary account using the MetaMask wallet extension. This will allow you to send a portion of your tokens to another address and verify the transaction.

Once you have created the secondary account, send a small amount of BFT tokens from your primary account to the secondary one.

After confirming the transaction, MetaMask will provide you with a transaction hash (TX Hash). You can use this unique identifier to search for the transaction on the Bitfinity Testnet block explorer. 

The block explorer will display detailed information about the transaction, including the sender and recipient addresses, the amount of tokens transferred, and the current status of the transaction (pending, confirmed, or failed).

This process helps you understand how the BFT tokens can be transferred between accounts and how to track the transactions using the block explorer.

Bitfinity Network Details

Bitfinity provides the Ethereum development experience, with layer-2 like speed and scalability. If you are an Ethereum developer, getting started on Bitfinity is as easy as changing the RPC endpoint.

• Network Name: Bitfinity
• New RPC URL: https://testnet.bitfinity.network
• Chain ID: 355113
• Currency Symbol: BFT
• Block Explorer URL: https://explorer.testnet.bitfinity.network/

Test in Prod…Common Challenges on Testnets 

Developers may face several issues when working with testnets. The same could apply if you use our testnet. These include:

• Network congestion and slow block times
• Depletion of testnet BFT: Obtain free BFT from testnet faucets provided by Bitfinity.
• Data loss from testnet resets: Regularly back up data using specific tools or manual backups.
• Lack of documentation and support: Because testnets are a prelude to the actual thing, there is not yet a lot of data available on the testnet documentation and/or on community forums for assistance.

Ready to Start Building?

If you're inspired to start developing on Bitfinity, please do so. By understanding and utilizing the Bitfinity testnet, you can ensure the projects that are going to get launched are robust and ready for the mainnet, ultimately contributing to a more stable and innovative Bitfinity ecosystem.

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*Important Disclaimer: While every effort is made on this website to provide accurate information, any opinions expressed or information disseminated do not necessarily reflect the views of Bitfinity itself. The information provided here is for general informational purposes only and should not be considered as financial advice.