Tycho Protocol Testnet: a Beginner’s Guide

Earlier, we introduced our Tycho Protocol, a breakthrough technology able to bring TVM networks to a completely new level of performance. Now, a new milestone has been reached: a public Tycho testnet is live, welcoming the entire community to explore the new protocol through using real dapps and wallets. 

In this article, we’ll guide you on how to join the Tycho testnet and perform meaningful activities to evaluate the protocol’s performance and potential.

Is Tycho a New Blockchain Protocol?

Broxus searched for ways to address key design challenges of TVM networks, specifically the matter of fast finality. After conducting a comprehensive research, developers proposed one solution: a TVM blockchain protocol that employs a consensus mechanism based on a Directed Acyclic Graph (DAG). Tycho is the implementation of this vision.

If successful, Tycho could significantly boost throughput across all TVM workchains, keeping time to finality in under 3 seconds, while maintaining network stability. In this case, Broxus will propose Ever DAO to implement this protocol into Everscale. Currently, the testnet carries a few test dapps from Everscale and experiences a constant load of around 2,000 TPS.

How to Join the Tycho Protocol Testnet

Generate a Blockchain Address

If you are an Everscale user, participating in the Tycho testnet won’t require installing additional applications, your existing Everscale tools will suffice. Start with the EVER Wallet (mobile app or Chrome extension) to switch networks. Choose “Tycho Testnet” from the dropdown list:

After switching to the testnet, you will see that the list of available crypto assets changed, and the only one available is TYCHO. This is a test token, which you will need to further use the testnet. It does not cost anything and can only be used in the Tycho testnet for technical purposes

Select the asset in the wallet, then click the “Receive” button. The wallet will provide your individual testnet address.

Get TYCHO Tokens and Display Additional Assets

Next, start the Telegram bot “Tycho Testnet Giver.” Type a command “/give” and then your testnet address to receive 1000 TYCHO, for example:

/give 0:e702743756f219101ba4f33954480f294f72fee211cba7795146532755c7df88

If successful, the bot will confirm the transaction and provide a blockchain explorer link, as in the example above. Your wallet balance will update shortly:

Initially, EVER Wallet only displays TYCHO, although there are other cryptocurrencies used in the testnet. To display all available tokens, click the button “Select assets”:

On the next screen, toggle all assets from the list:

What to Do in the Tycho Testnet

FlatQube

Explore Tycho by interacting with FlatQube, Everscale’s leading DEX, in its testnet version. Here’s how. Navigate to its testnet website, and connect your wallet (the button in the upper right corner).

On the swap page, select TYCHO and any other token from the list. For instance, there are testnet versions of USDT (ttUSDT), USDC (ttUSDC), DAI (ttDAI), or “Wrapped Tycho” (WTYCHO). Same as TYCHO, these tokens do not have any real value, and are created solely for the testnet. Enter the amount, and confirm the operation:

Another option is to add liquidity to one of the pools. Go to the Pools page, select a pool, e.g. ttUSDT/WTYCHO. Note that you must have both assets in your wallet. On the pool’s page, specify the amount, and click the button “Connect account.”

Refresh the page, and click the same button with the updated text “Connect pool” (if you do it for the first time), and confirm the operation. If done correctly, you will see a small pop-up notification in the left bottom corner.

Now, enter the amount of one asset once again (for instance, ttUSDT), and confirm the operation by clicking the big button starting with the word “Deposit…”. Then, repeat this step for the second asset. Remember to specify the same numbers for each asset at every stage. Refresh the page and, if done correctly, you will see a new text on the button: “Supply.” 

Click it and confirm the operation once again. In a few moments, a notification about a successful transaction should appear. Update the page once again, and you will see that the wallet balance for the assets you added to the pool is updated. Return to the pool’s page, and you will see the data about your share in the pool:

Tokstock

Another option for the Tycho testnet is the NFT marketplace Tokstock, which lets you trade digital assets. Currently, Tokstock’s testnet version contains only one collection of 1,000 items called “Japan surreal”. We remind you that these NFTs do not have value, as in the case of fungible tokens we mentioned earlier. Before using the dapp, don’t forget to connect your wallet with some TYCHO tokens, same as with FlatQube.

Browse the collection and pick any NFT you like (most of them are being “sold” for just 100 TYCHO). Hover over the card and click the button “Buy now”. Confirm the transaction, and wait until it is executed.

To check that the NFT has reached your wallet successfully, go to its interface, where you will see a new tab called “NFT”. Click it, and you will see an image you acquired:

Remember that in Everscale, you directly own any NFT, which you can freely transfer to any other user, and you can do that in the Tycho testnet, as well.

Another operation available to testnet users is “selling” their NFTs. If you want to sell a non-fungible token you bought, simply find it in the collection, and click the button “Put on sale”. Specify the selling amount, start date, and set the sale expiration date if needed. Confirm the operation, and wait for it to finish. Refresh the item’s page, and you will see it started selling:

Even if you find a buyer for your NFT, it will only affect your testnet balance. Overall, trading operations are added to Tycho for testing user experience.

Our developers continue working on adding more dapps from the Everscale mainnet to the Tycho testnet. In the meantime, feel free to explore FlatQube and Tokstock to see how well they do. Because If you face any bug or issue, report them to the Broxus support team in the dedicated chat. Note that legitimate support staff will never message you first. 

Useful Resources

In the end, let’s summarize all the helpful links for the Tycho testnet once again, and list a few more:

1. Website. Learn more about the protocol’s goals and technology.

2. Broxus support. Report issues or bugs and get help from official support specialists.

3. EVER Wallet. Download for Android, iOS, or as a Chrome extension to generate your testnet address.

4. Tycho Testnet Giver. Use the Telegram bot to receive 1,000 free TYCHO tokens. Optionally, you can request more tokens.

5. Telegram channel. Stay updated on Tycho’s progress and announcements.

6. Blockchain explorer. Track transactions and account activity on the Tycho testnet.

7. Network monitoring. Check the network’s status and performance parameters such as transactions per second in real time

8. FlatQube. Perform token swaps or add liquidity to testnet pools.

9. Tokstock. Buy and sell NFTs, organize auctions, and experience true digital ownership.