Privacy startup Nym Technologies has officially introduced its Nym Sandbox testnet, enabling developers, node runners, and researchers to start experimenting with the Nym mixnet architecture before deploying on the mainnet.
Earlier this month, the Nym development team also rolled out the first permanent Nova testnet. The launch of the Sandbox testnet marks another significant milestone in Nym’s 2021 calendar as the team inches closer towards the culmination of its three-step mainnet release. All of the ongoing releases are interconnected and have been strategically mapped out by the Nym development team over the past few months.
In general, 2021 has been highly eventful for Nym Technologies. Throughout the year, the team has made significant advancements in product development, including the successful launch of the Nym Desktop Wallet for mix nodes and the transition of the mixnet explorer to a fully open-source platform.
The launch of the Nym Sandbox is critical for the planned mainnet release because the CosmWasm 1.0 upgrade for the smart contract platform that powers the NYM tokenomics, has also been rolled out alongside the testnet release.
Following the launch of the Sandbox testnet, Dave Hrycyszyn, CTO and co-founder of Nym Technologies, notes, “The permanent testnet is an important step in the development of the entire Nym architecture. It will contain most major components and smart contracts, but in a secure test environment for us to tweak any issues before we begin the launch.”
The Sandbox Opens For Developers, Node Runners, And Researchers
The Nym Sandbox testnet is open for all developers, node runners, and researchers, allowing them to try out the Nym mixnet architecture before joining or deploying on the mainnet.
However, unlike the previously released testnets, the Nym Sandbox testnet will not be incentivized. The testnet will support test tokens and offer a similar environment as that of the mainnet, including reward sharing, active, standby, and inactive node sets, among others.
When it comes to building wallets and other applications, Nym Sandbox will be a permanent testnet for developers to test their work. At the same time, Milhon, the current testnet for Nym, will also be moved to Nym Sandbox to streamline things even further for developers.
Additionally, Nym Sandbox is expected to deliver a significant edge for the Nym research community as a whole. Researchers can now run massive simulations on the privacy and security of distributed systems such as mixed networks and distributed ledger technologies, including blockchains, wallets, and the apps that run on them. The Sandbox testnet will allow researchers to upgrade Nym’s infrastructure for its distributed mix networks and strengthen privacy and anonymity by experimenting with novel cybersecurity methods.
Ania Piotrowska, Nym Head of Research, notes, “Early on we concluded that the benefits of our Nym Sandbox testnet Nym Sandbox environment would be a boon for research purposes. We believe it will be instrumental in helping familiarize both the crypto and non-crypto communities with our technologies, all while granting them the chance to engage with our novel privacy services in a riskless environment.
Disclaimer: This article is provided for informational purposes only. It is not offered or intended to be used as legal, tax, investment, financial, or other advice.
