Stroom Testnet guide

Stroom Network is a Bitcoin Liquid Staking protocol that allows users to earn routing fees on the Lightning Network (LN) by staking their BTC.

While it also opens doors to various yield options within the DeFi ecosystem, the true innovation lies in its unique proposition: earning native Bitcoin yield derived from its utility as a payment method.

Why participate in the testnet?

1) Join the community of true believers in Bitcoin, its potential, and world-changing power

Every member of the Stroom community, referred to as a stroomer, will accelerate BTC adoption as a superior form of money. Furthermore, the Bitcoin ecosystem, with the help of Stroom and LN, will reward stroomers with native yield—a genuinely groundbreaking and immaculate partnership.

2) Improve the protocol

Stroomers who contributed during the testnet phase (earned any number of points) will accelerate the protocol adoption and improve its usability. Stroom’s team wholeheartedly works to eliminate all the nuisances with the protocol usage, and all help from the community greatly alleviates the pressure from the developing team, whether it is spreading the word about the product, providing feedback, submitting a bug, etc.

3) Collect points

Each participant will be able to reap rewards after the testnet ends, based on the number of points gained during the test phase. You can boost point numbers by completing our tasks or inviting more users via a referral link.

Testnet roadmap

Our testnet will start on March 21, 2024, and will continue until the mainnet launch, which is expected to occur later this year. We’ll update this section as testing progresses.

To be continued…

Before you begin

To get started, you will need four things:

  • A Testnet Bitcoin wallet

  • A MetaMask wallet with enabled Sepolia testnet

  • A Twitter account

  • A Discord account

How to participate

1) Visit Stroom's website: https://stroom.network/

2) Once the testnet is live, you will see a button on the main page to join it. Additionally, an announcement will be posted on our official Twitter page.

3) As the testnet progresses, we will roll out more and more activities for our stroomers. So, stay tuned!

How to get Testnet BTC?

First, you need a Bitcoin wallet that supports Testnet Bitcoin. Examples of such wallets are Blockstream Green Wallet, Copay Bitcoin Wallet (Apple users only), or BitPay Crypto Wallet. Again, these are simply examples. You can use any other wallet that supports testnet BTC.

We will use Blockstream Green Wallet as our example for setup.

  • Visit https://blockstream.com/green/

  • Install the application on your computer or smartphone

  • Launch the application and set up a new Bitcoin wallet

  • Once it’s set up, open the menu and go to “App settings”

  • Toggle the “Enable testnet” switch on

  • Set up a new wallet, selecting Bitcoin testnet this time

  • If set up successfully, a warning message should appear above the wallet

  • By clicking the “Receive” button at the bottom of your wallet, you will have your Testnet Bitcoin wallet address

Second, you will need to have some testnet BTC on your wallet balance.

  • Visit our Discord https://discord.gg/ZrEBAk94RS

  • Go to the #faucet-test channel

  • Type /faucet in the chat

  • Enter your Testnet BTC address

  • 10,000 satoshis will be sent to your wallet

We do not possess an unlimited number of testnet BTC, so we will send testnet BTC only once every 24 hours.

However, you can get them through Bitcoin testnet faucets, which can be found via search engines. As of March 2024, https://bitcoinfaucet.uo1.net/ and https://coinfaucet.eu/en/btc-testnet/ are the two examples of working faucets we have tried.

Regarding the wallet address types, during the testnet phase, Stroom supports Taproot and Segwit address formats. Legacy formats will be supported on the mainnet.

Remember that you will need to pay fees in Bitcoin testnet too, so make sure you leave some spare testnet satoshis to request Redeems of your staking assets.

How to get Sepolia ETH?

Primarily, make sure you have a MetaMask wallet. You can find information on what it is and how to set up a wallet at https://metamask.io/. Once your wallet is set up, navigate to the top-left corner, click on the dropdown menu, toggle the “Show test networks” switch on, and select “Sepolia” instead of the “Ethereum Mainnet.”

Next, you will need to use a Sepolia faucet to top up your balance. A few thousand of Sepolia ETH will be enough to confirm transactions. Below are some Sepolia faucets you can use:

How to Stake?

In the first stage of Stroom’s testnet, we invite all individual or corporate users interested in trying Bitcoin staking with us. Assuming you have completed the prerequisite set of actions described in the Before you begin section, you can now explore the “How to” section.

Step 1 - Follow our Twitter account

  • Click the Follow button once you are on our Twitter page

Step 2 - Join our Discord

  • Accept the invitation to join our server

Step 3 - Connect your wallet

  • Click on it and choose the MetaMask option to connect

  • Allow the requested permissions from MetaMask

  • If everything is done correctly, at the top-right of the screen, instead of the “CONNECT WALLET” button, you will see your connected wallet address

Task 4 - Mint/Stake

  • Connect your MetaMask wallet

  • If you have connected your wallet successfully, you will see the “Mint stBTC/bstBTC” screen with a Testnet Bitcoin deposit address

  • Copy the provided BTC address

  • Go to your Testnet BTC wallet

  • Deposit a desired amount of BTC

  • Return to our testnet and click the “I have paid” button

  • Once the transaction has received enough confirmations, it will be displayed below.

  • Select the transaction you wish to mint (if you have multiple deposits) by pressing the “Proceed” button

  • Choose stBTC and click the “Mint” button OR Choose bstBTC and click the “Mint&Stake” button

  • Allow the requested permissions from MetaMask

  • If you have followed the instructions correctly, your balance will top up promptly

Keep in mind that staking rewards depend on LN activity. Therefore, it might take a week or two before you start receiving the rewards for your staked testnet BTC.

How to Unstake?

We have streamlined the process by combining the unstaking and redeeming functionalities into one section: the Redeem section.

  • At the top of your screen, select the REDEEM section

  • Connect your wallet

  • Enter the BTC address to which you wish to redeem your staked BTC

  • Specify the amount you want to redeem in stBTC/bstBTC tokens

  • Click the “Redeem” or “Unstake&Redeem” button

  • If the transaction is successful, you will see the specified amount sent to the provided BTC address

How to convert?

If you need to convert your stBTC into bstBTC and vice versa, follow the steps:

  • Visit testnet.stroom.network/convert

  • Click the “CONVERT” button at the top

  • Enter the desired amount

  • Click the “Convert” button on the exchange widget

  • Approve all transactions in the wallet you connected to Stroom

Submit a bug

If you encounter a bug during your experience, please submit the issue via the “Bug submission” form. We will add the link to this section shortly.

What’s next for Stroom?

After launching our testnet, we will spend some time verifying the system's functionality, identifying and fixing bugs, and conducting audits. Why? Our goal is to refine and perfect the system for the mainnet launch, ensuring users receive a polished and seamless experience. What do we consider a seamless experience? First and foremost, it encompasses a robust and secure protocol that facilitates global payment rails, among other features.

Think of this testnet phase as laying the groundwork for a system that revolutionizes how transactions are conducted worldwide. By participating in our testnet, users are contributing to the development of a protocol that aims to offer more than just transactional capabilities—it's about creating a secure and accessible financial ecosystem for everyone, everywhere.

Our ultimate goal is to not just meet but exceed user expectations, transforming the way we think about and engage with digital currencies.

Testnet Resources

NextValidator guide

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