Overview

Testnet = Bitcoin test network with worthless coins.

Benefits:

• Free testing

• No financial risk

• Faster blocks (~10 min)

• Reset periodically

Get Started

Create Testnet Node

bashCopycomet node create --network testnet --region us-east

Free Features:

• No credit charges

• Full LND functionality

• Bitcoin Core access

• Same as mainnet (except network)

Get Testnet Coins

Faucets:

• https://testnet-faucet.com

• https://coinfaucet.eu/en/btc-testnet

• https://bitcoinfaucet.uo1.net

Request:

1. Generate address: comet onchain address --node_id

2. Visit faucet

3. Enter address

4. Receive coins (~0.01 tBTC)

Open Channels

Find Testnet Peers:

bashCopycomet peer recommend --node_id <node_id> --network testnet</node_id>

Open Channel:

bashCopycomet channel open --node_id <node_id> --peer_pubkey <pubkey> --amount 100000</pubkey></node_id

Testing Workflows

Payment Testing

Create Invoice:

bashCopycomet invoice create --node_id <node_id> --amount 10000 --memo "Test payment"</node_id>

Pay Invoice:

bashCopycomet payment send --node_id <node_id> --payment_request <lnbc...></lnbc...></node_id>

Channel Testing

Test Scenarios:

1. Open channel

2. Send payments

3. Receive payments

4. Rebalance

5. Close channel (cooperative)

6. Force close (test recovery)

API Testing

Test Integration:

pythonCopyimport requests

API_KEY = "test_api_key"
NODE_ID = "testnet_node_id"

# Create invoice
response = requests.post(
    'https://api.comet.dev/v1/invoices/create',
    headers={'Authorization': f'Bearer {API_KEY}'},
    json={'node_id': NODE_ID, 'amount': 10000}
)

invoice = response.json()
print(f"Invoice: {invoice['payment_request']}")

Testnet vs Mainnet

Best Practices

1. Always test first: Validate on testnet before mainnet

2. Test edge cases: Force closes, failures, timeouts

3. Load testing: Simulate production volumes

4. Integration testing: Test full workflows

5. Document results: Track test outcomes

Limitations

Testnet Constraints:

• Coins have no value

• Network less stable

• Fewer nodes/channels

• May reset (rare)

• Lower liquidity

Migration to Mainnet

Checklist

• All tests passing

• Error handling verified

• Backup procedures tested

• Monitoring configured

• Documentation complete

Deploy

bashCopy# Create mainnet node
comet node create --network mainnet --region us-east

# Update configuration
export NODE_ID="mainnet_node_id"

# Deploy application
# Monitor closely

Resources

• Testnet Explorer: https://blockstream.info/testnet