Supported Testnets¶
Ethereum Mainnet is the primary public Ethereum production blockchain, where actual-value transactions occur on the distributed ledger. There are many different Ethereum Testnets, and each testnet uses its own test ETH as currency, respectively. It’s generally essential to test all smart contracts code on a testnet before deploying it to the Mainnet.
Most testnets use a proof-of-authority consensus mechanism. This means a small number of nodes are chosen to validate transactions and create new blocks – staking their identity in the process. It’s hard to incentivize mining on a proof-of-work testnet which can leave it vulnerable.
Ropsten¶
Ropsten is a proof-of-work testnet for those running Geth, Besu and all other Ethereum clients. This means it’s the best like-for-like representation of Ethereum. Ropsten started in November 2016 and it can be used with all clients. Detail information can be checked in link.
Rinkeby¶
Rinkeby is a proof-of-authority(clique) testnet for those running Geth, Besu, Nethermind, and OpenEthereum client. Rinkeby started in April 2017 and is immune to spam attacks(as Trusted parties control ether supply). Detail information can be checked in link.