With the launch of Axelar’s incentivized testnet signups last month, the team was thrilled at the excitement and engagement we received from the community. With over 6500 testnet signups so far we’ve also received a lot of questions across our socials, so we’ve compiled the most frequently asked questions and detailed our answers below.

What will the format of the testnet be and how long will it run until?

The team will continuously support a testnet environment pre and post mainnet launch. For now, we expect to release a new testnet version every 4–8 weeks with more features and properties added. Each testnet release aims to test some particular functionality or property of the network. The testnet will remain open for several weeks until the next iteration is released, at which point the team may wind down the testnet between releases for maintenance and to prepare for the next version. The exact duration will depend on the complexity of the functionality we’re testing, operational support, and other factors.

How many testers will be onboarded onto the testnet?

For each testnet we’ll invite increasingly more participants, with the exact numbers depending on the scale of our operational support and tech. We’re working towards building a fully decentralized network and community, and allowing anyone to join and play with the network when enough support is in place.

I filled out a submission form but didn’t hear back, does this mean I haven’t been selected and can’t participate?

We’re delighted to have over 6500 signups for the testnet, and as we’re onboarding users on an incremental basis we’re working hard to add the resources necessary to onboard more users. If you don’t hear back right away or even in the coming weeks, stay on the lookout and as we’re scaling to support more participants.

How are you choosing initial participants?

We are looking for a diverse set of participants, and are adding those with technical experience participating in testnets and running nodes, those who represent professional validating communities as well as developers, builders, community leaders and moderators.

When will the testnet open up for everyone?

The ultimate goal of Axelar’s testnet is to be able to open it up for everyone to participate. There is currently no set date for when this will happen, but the team is hard at work on the engineering and community side and will provide updates regularly.

Why do US/CAD citizens need to be accredited investors in order to participate?

Due to regulatory uncertainty around governance tokens, we presently limit participation to accredited US and Canadian citizens.

What is the criteria to participate in the testnet?

You should have prior knowledge of Docker, terminal, and GitHub workflows, with experience troubleshooting in a test environment. This is a technical testnet so experience working with validators and nodes is recommended.

Incentivized Testnet FAQs was originally published in Axelar on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.