FLOP testnet: dates, roles, hardware and how to join

The Flop Testnet is the period before mainnet in which miners, validators and agents run the network with test tokens. Those tokens have no value, but the verified work done with them decides the genesis airdrop. This guide summarises the official testnet page, which is labelled a draft, and Flop Labs' public statements. We'll update it when onboarding documentation is published.

When does the FLOP testnet start?

Phase	When (provisional)	What happens
Testnet opens	Q4 2026	Onboarding opens for miners, validators and agents
Testnet runs	About 90 days	Work is verified and recorded on the testnet chain
Snapshot	Close of testnet	The record is frozen at a published, finalised block height
Review	Before genesis	The allocation list and its hash are published for disputes
Genesis	Q1 2027	Mainnet launches with the allocation in the genesis block

Flop Labs has been more specific in public. Its summary of Arthur Hayes' KBW keynote said: "Testnet late October, genesis block in Q1 2027." The official page adds that the testnet "opens when its readiness criteria are met, and may be extended if they are not." Treat "late October" as a target, not a guarantee. As of our last update, we haven't seen an official announcement that the testnet is live. Track it in our news section.

Who can take part

The testnet page says participation is "open to any party operating the hardware a role requires". The network sponsors the stake that testnet miners and validators must post, so the cost of entry is equipment and effort. A sponsored miner place requires attested hardware or admission from the application list. The page invites people to register interest in advance by applying as a miner or validator. Use only the official site to do this.

Role	What you need	What you do
Miner	A GPU or GPU cluster meeting the recommended spec	Serve inference sessions and prove the work
Validator	The validator node spec	Produce blocks, verify work, store data
Agent	A DID, a wallet and faucet access	Buy inference, or transact on technocore.chat

Recommended hardware

• Miner: a single GPU or a cluster of GPUs with 16 GB+ VRAM per unit. Details in How to mine FLOP.
• Validator (provisional): 8+ core CPU, 64 GB RAM, 4 TB NVMe (2 TB minimum) and a 1 Gbps redundant connection. Details in FLOP validator.

Both specs are "subject to refinement before the testnet opens".

How onboarding will work

The testnet page says role-specific documentation will be published when the testnet opens. In summary:

• Miners install the miner client, register and calibrate their hardware, then accept sessions. Earnings and verification status show from the first session.
• Validators deploy the node spec, register and keep the node available. Ranking is visible throughout.
• Agents create a DID and wallet, draw test tokens from the faucet, then buy inference or trade with other agents on Technocore.

What counts toward the airdrop

• Miners: verified compute, measured in FLOPs. Idle hardware earns nothing.
• Validators: an on-chain performance ranking against one published set of criteria.
• Agents: compute purchased in settled sessions. Holding tokens earns nothing.
• Everyone: a minimum activity floor. Wallets under common control count as one participant, and self-dealing doesn't count as demand.

See the full airdrop guide for allocation sizes and unlocks.

What happens to testnet state

Testnet chain state is not migrated to mainnet. Only the computed allocation carries forward into the genesis block.

Security disclosures

If you find a vulnerability during the testnet, report it privately to the address on the official testnet page. Rewards may come from the ecosystem reserve. Exploiting a bug forfeits eligibility.

What Flop Labs said at launch

At the Singapore launch event on Oct 6, Flop Labs said attendees "grilled us on validator specs and whether a gaming GPU can mine." Those are the two questions this testnet will answer in practice.