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<p class="crumb"><a href="/guides">Guides</a> / Bitcoin testnet</p>

  <div class="card hero coin" style="--coin: var(--btc)">
    <div class="card-body">
      <p class="hero-eyebrow"><img class="coin-ico" src="/assets/coins/btc.svg" alt="" width="22" height="22"> Bitcoin testnet</p>
      <h1><span class="grad">Bitcoin testnet</span></h1>
      <p class="lede">Bitcoin has more than one test network. This guide explains testnet3, testnet4, and signet, how to get free tBTC, and how to read a testnet address.</p>
    </div>
  </div>

  <div class="toc">
    <p class="toc-title">On this page</p>
    <ul>
      <li><a href="#networks">The Bitcoin test networks</a></li>
      <li><a href="#get">Get some tBTC</a></li>
      <li><a href="#addresses">Addresses</a></li>
      <li><a href="#confirmations">Blocks &amp; confirmations</a></li>
      <li><a href="#fees">Fees &amp; UTXOs</a></li>
      <li><a href="#node">A node &amp; RPC</a></li>
      <li><a href="#params">Network parameters</a></li>
    </ul>
  </div>

  <div class="card"><div class="card-body prose">
    <h2 id="networks">The Bitcoin test networks <a class="anchor" tabindex="-1" href="#networks" aria-hidden="true">#</a></h2>
    <p>Unlike most coins, Bitcoin has several test networks. Pick the one that matches what you're doing:</p>
    <div class="table-wrap"><table>
      <thead><tr><th scope="col">Network</th><th scope="col">What it's for</th><th scope="col">Coin</th><th scope="col">Stability</th></tr></thead>
      <tbody>
        <tr><th scope="row"><strong>testnet3</strong></th><td>The long-running public testnet (since 2012). Still widely used, but showing its age.</td><td>tBTC</td><td>Erratic, with a reputation for "block storms" and deep reorgs</td></tr>
        <tr><th scope="row"><strong>testnet4</strong></th><td>A fresh public testnet added in Bitcoin Core 28.0 (2024) to replace testnet3's worst quirks.</td><td>tBTC</td><td>Better, though still gets bursts of empty low-difficulty blocks</td></tr>
        <tr><th scope="row"><strong>signet</strong></th><td>A testnet whose blocks are signed by a coordinator, so they arrive calmly and predictably. The best choice for building an app.</td><td>tBTC</td><td>Very stable</td></tr>
        <tr><th scope="row"><strong>regtest</strong></th><td>A private network on your own machine where you mine blocks on demand. Ideal for automated tests.</td><td>None</td><td>Fully under your control</td></tr>
      </tbody>
    </table></div>
    <div class="callout tip"><p class="co-title">Which should I use?</p><p>If you just want to learn and experiment, <strong>testnet4</strong> or <strong>signet</strong> are the friendliest. testnet3 works too, but don't be surprised when its timing gets weird. That's testnet3 being testnet3, not you doing something wrong.</p></div>

    <h2 id="get">Get some tBTC <a class="anchor" tabindex="-1" href="#get" aria-hidden="true">#</a></h2>
    <p>There are two easy ways to get test coins, both free:</p>
    <ul>
      <li><strong>A faucet</strong> is the fastest option. Claim tBTC from <a href="/faucet">CypherFaucet</a>.</li>
      <li><strong>Mining</strong> is slower, but you learn more. Point a miner at <a href="/mining">TestnetPool</a>.</li>
    </ul>
    <p>You'll need a receive address first, so grab one from <a href="/wallet">TestnetWallet</a>.</p>

    <h2 id="addresses">Addresses <a class="anchor" tabindex="-1" href="#addresses" aria-hidden="true">#</a></h2>
    <p>Testnet addresses look different from mainnet ones, and that's by design: you physically can't send mainnet coins to a testnet address by accident. Across testnet3, testnet4, and signet the formats are the same:</p>
    <ul>
      <li><strong>Legacy (P2PKH):</strong> start with <code>m</code> or <code>n</code></li>
      <li><strong>P2SH:</strong> start with <code>2</code></li>
      <li><strong>Native SegWit (bech32):</strong> start with <code>tb1q&hellip;</code></li>
      <li><strong>Taproot (bech32m):</strong> start with <code>tb1p&hellip;</code></li>
    </ul>
    <p>(Local regtest is the exception: its bech32 addresses use the <code>bcrt1&hellip;</code> prefix.)</p>

    <h2 id="confirmations">Blocks &amp; confirmations <a class="anchor" tabindex="-1" href="#confirmations" aria-hidden="true">#</a></h2>
    <p>Bitcoin targets one block roughly every <strong>10 minutes</strong>, on testnet as on mainnet. In practice testnet timing is much bumpier, and blocks can arrive in a flurry or stall for a while. When your transaction is included in a block it has one confirmation; each block after that adds another. See <a href="/confirmations">how confirmations work</a>.</p>

    <h2 id="fees">Fees &amp; UTXOs <a class="anchor" tabindex="-1" href="#fees" aria-hidden="true">#</a></h2>
    <p>Testnet transactions still pay <a href="/fees">fees</a> and still follow the <a href="/utxos">UTXO model</a>, but the coins are free, so it costs nothing to see how fee rates change how quickly you confirm.</p>

    <h2 id="node">A node &amp; RPC <a class="anchor" tabindex="-1" href="#node" aria-hidden="true">#</a></h2>
    <p>You don't need your own node to use testnet, since a <a href="/wallet">wallet</a> and an <a href="/explorer">explorer</a> are enough. But running one is the best way to learn. Bitcoin Core starts on a test network with a flag:</p>
    <div class="codeblock"><button class="copybtn code-copy" type="button" data-copy-code aria-label="Copy code to clipboard">Copy</button><pre><code>bitcoind -testnet4      # or -signet, or -testnet (testnet3)
bitcoin-cli -testnet4 getblockchaininfo</code></pre></div>
    <p>The walkthrough at <a href="/run-node">run a Litecoin testnet node</a> follows the same pattern. When you do run a node, keep its <a href="/rpc-safety">RPC interface private</a>, and see <a href="/broadcast-raw-tx">broadcasting a raw transaction</a> for the developer path.</p>
  </div></div>

  <div class="card">
    <h2 class="card-header" id="params">Network parameters</h2>
    <div class="card-body">
      <div class="kv"><span class="k">Coin symbol</span><span class="v">tBTC</span></div>
      <div class="kv"><span class="k">Block target</span><span class="v">~10 minutes</span></div>
      <div class="kv"><span class="k">testnet3 ports (P2P / RPC)</span><span class="v mono">18333 / 18332</span></div>
      <div class="kv"><span class="k">testnet4 ports (P2P / RPC)</span><span class="v mono">48333 / 48332</span></div>
      <div class="kv"><span class="k">signet ports (P2P / RPC)</span><span class="v mono">38333 / 38332</span></div>
      <div class="kv"><span class="k">regtest ports (P2P / RPC)</span><span class="v mono">18444 / 18443</span></div>
    </div>
  </div>

  <div class="warnbox">
    <span class="wb-ico" aria-hidden="true">&#9888;&#65039;</span>
    <div class="wb-body">
      <h3>Testnet coins are fake money</h3>
      <ul>
        <li>tBTC has no market value, so never buy or sell it. ("tBTC" is also the name of an unrelated token elsewhere; here it just means testnet BTC.)</li>
        <li>Never use a real seed phrase or import a real wallet on testnet.</li>
        <li>Never send mainnet BTC to a testnet address.</li>
      </ul>
    </div>
  </div>

  <div class="pagenav">
    <a href="/testnets"><div class="pn-dir">&larr; Previous</div><div class="pn-t">What is a testnet?</div></a>
    <a class="pn-next" href="/litecoin"><div class="pn-dir">Next &rarr;</div><div class="pn-t">Litecoin testnet guide</div></a>
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