Jameson Lopp, co-founder of Bitcoin custody firm Casa, has advocated for a partial reset of Bitcoin’s testnet, TBTC, due to persistent “block storms” and misuse by some projects.
In an essay published on May 4, Lopp wrote that the testnet, which operates with slightly different consensus rules than the mainnet, has been experiencing “block storms,” generating over 10,000 blocks in a day compared to the mainnet’s average of 144 blocks per day.
According to him, this has led to an inflated block height, now at 2,811,000, equivalent to where the mainnet would be in 2061. Consequently, rewards for testnet miners have plummeted, rendering the network practically unusable for developers exploring new tokens.
Lopp also expressed concern about the exploitation of scarce testnet Bitcoin by certain projects, which are charging users for testnet tokens at mainnet Bitcoin exchange rates.
“It’s not uncommon for malicious folks to prey upon people’s naïveté and sell them testnet bitcoin at mainnet Bitcoin exchange rates,” he said.
He highlighted a recent instance involving a Bitcoin-based layer-2 network called SatoshiVM. The network utilized TBTC to provide airdrops to its holders, illustrating a project that generated artificial value on the testnet for its own objectives.
Lopp suggested that the best method to prevent a testnet from gaining value is by establishing a practice of regular resets. He recommended that Bitcoin developers and users transition their infrastructure to “testnet4” in the upcoming months.
“It’s important for every wallet that supports testnet to have a bold disclaimer on the main screen that testnet coins have no value!“
Meanwhile, Lopp’s suggestions come after some members of the crypto community criticized him for his “griefing” attack on Bitcoin’s testnet. He generated three years’ worth of blocks in just one week, causing disruptions for developers testing applications on the network and prompting an outcry from the affected parties.
RELATED: Bitcoin Developer Sparks Controversy with Testnet ‘Griefing’ Attack
Lopp defended his actions, arguing that his “trivial exploit” highlighted a vulnerability in the testnet he had previously identified.
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