A brand new layer-1 blockchain is about to rival Ethereum and Solana. Right here’s how one can put together.
After years of constructing and greater than $225 million raised, Monad formally unveiled its testnet on February 19.
The high-performance Ethereum Digital Machine layer-1 community goals to rival the velocity and scalability that Solana affords, whereas interacting with the huge Ethereum ecosystem and its purposes and protocols.
It does so through the use of parallel execution, in different phrases, executing transactions that don’t rely upon one another on the similar time, boasting greater than 10,000 transactions per second within the course of.
Earlier than the highly-anticipated debut of its mainnet, right here’s how one can put together for Monad.
Dig deep on testnet
The Monad Testnet is the primary model of the community that’s publicly out there for customers. On day one among its begin, a wide range of apps and protocols had been out there, permitting customers to get a really feel for the upcoming mainnet whereas doubtlessly incomes alongside the best way.
The mission encourages customers to interact with Monad’s testnet utilizing a recent browser, and recent pockets for essentially the most safe expertise.
Buying testnet tokens
To work together on testnet, customers will want testnet Monad tokens which customers can purchase from the Monad faucet. Testnet tokens should not have any financial worth, however permit people to facilitate transactions with apps and protocols on the event community.
The tap permits any EVM handle to say Monad testnet tokens each 12 hours. These with a verified position within the Monad Discord could also be eligible to say a bigger share of tokens when utilizing the tap.
Moreover, within the hope of getting customers to interact with Monad testnet, the mission despatched greater than 8.8 million EVM addresses some testnet tokens prematurely based mostly on their on-chain exercise with different blockchains.
To test your steadiness, customers can add the Monad Testnet to any EVM appropriate pockets. Some standard wallets, like Phantom and Backpack, already present native assist for Monad and its testnet.
Have interaction with apps on testnet
Monad’s testnet has a strong ecosystem of apps, which might all be discovered within the community’s listing. Along with gaining familiarity with the person expertise of the highly-anticipated blockchain, customers may be eligible to earn from factors applications or NFT whitelists by taking part with the purposes.
Gaming
Monad’s testnet is house to a handful of gaming purposes, a few of that are native solely to Monad–like Rug Rumble, a gamified memecoin buying and selling expertise and LootGO, a walk-to-earn social app.
Different gaming apps on the chain embrace Plato, Anterris, and the favored Ethereum social fantasy recreation, Fantasy High.
NFTs
Monad has been vocal about its intentions for a profitable NFT ecosystem, partnering with an NFT ambassador as early as April 2024 and internet hosting NFT hackathons as just lately as January 2025.
As such, the community is already partnered with main NFT infrastructure gamers like OpenSea and Magic Eden, who will probably be able to assist collectible endeavors from day one.
Quite a lot of testnet NFTs like MonBois, Skrumpets, and LaMouch have already minted and may be traded. Plus, whitelists from collections like MeowwNads, Chog, and others may be earned by way of testnet exercise.
Social, betting, meme cash and extra
Extra client centered purposes–like prediction markets, social purposes, and token launchpads are additionally out there on testnet.
Examples embrace Kizzy, Nad.enjoyable, and Bean Change.
What advantages exist for gaining publicity to Monad?
In December, the community formally unveiled the Monad Basis, an impartial group designed to propel the longer term “improvement and adoption” of the Monad blockchain.
Although it isn’t explicitly acknowledged, the creation of a basis in Web3 is commonly adopted by the creation and distribution of a token. Moreover, with the disclosing of its improvement community and “testnet MON” tokens–customers are persevering with to take a position on a Monad token airdrop.
Nevertheless, no official data has been offered to date, and taking part with testnet shouldn’t be a assure of any future rewards.
