Announcing the ISLE Incentivized Testnet ⚡🏝️

ATOM Economic Zone
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  • What: Interchain Security Lightning Experiment (ISLE) testnet
  • When: May 13 - May 17, 2024
  • Who: All Hub mainnet validators are welcome
  • Why: Check out ICS 2.0 AND earn $200-500 for one week of testing and training
  • How: Join the Interchain Discord and ask to be given the Interchain Security role

Welcome to the Interchain Security Lightning Experiment – ISLE for short :zap::desert_island:

ISLE is a lightning-fast testnet program to get ICS 2.0 to mainnet in record time. Past incentivized testnets have taken at least a month, but ISLE will happen over the course of a single week.

We’ll do this by leveraging our existing Interchain Security Testnet and validator set. Roughly 25% of mainnet Hub validators participate on the testnet and they are highly responsive, motivated, and reliable. During the Hub’s recent v15.1 upgrade, 90% of validators who participate on the testnet were up and signing within 5 blocks of the upgrade height, while only 50% of non-testnet validators were that fast.

Who’s invited?

All Hub mainnet validators!

ICS 2.0 is coming and this is your chance to see firsthand how it differs from Replicated Security. Not only that – you’ll get paid for the tasks you complete!

ISLE has a jam-packed itinerary of demo consumer chains to show off features like:

  • Voting to allow a new Top N consumer chain and require the top N% of validators to secure it
  • Voting to allow a chain-id to be used for a consumer chain on the Hub (necessary in this version to allow opt-in chains but prevent id-squatting)
  • Opting in to an opt-in chain
  • Opting out of an opt-in chain
  • Previews of opt-in chains heading to mainnet :eyes:

What’s in it for you?

It is incentivized, after all. Validators can expect to earn $200-500 USD for this one week testnet depending on participation!

Incentives for ISLE will be funded by an AADAO grant that expands Hypha’s Testnet Incentive Program. This critical funding will ensure that ICS 2.0 hits mainnet after being tested as quickly and thoroughly as possible by the testnet team and the validator set.

Mainnet validators will be eligible for incentive payments based on successfully completing ISLE milestones, with a bonus for not getting jailed and for doing every milestone perfectly.

What about TIP? :astonished:

We’ll be ending Period 5 of TIP a little early to accommodate ISLE! With a mainnet upgrade scheduled on May 15, this will not change the number of events in Period 5, just relax the jailing criteria a little bit.

Our usual Testnet Incentives Program will not overlap with ISLE, and we will resume TIP afterwards with our new (easier) criteria list. Participants in ISLE are encouraged to stick around on the ICS Testnet, where we run through new Gaia releases prior to mainnet upgrades.

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We’ve posted more information about our event programming for next week! Many validators are already registered but if you’ve missed it, here are the steps:

If you’re not already involved in the testnet…

  • Step 1: Join the Interchain Discord and ask to be given the Interchain Security role. This gives you access to the #interchain-security-testnet channel, where testnet coordinators and validators troubleshoot and help each other out.
  • Step 2: Join the Interchain Security testnet. Instructions available here. If you need help, ask in the Discord channel!
  • Step 3: Register for ISLE using the Testnet Incentives Program form here. If you need help with the form or are unable to use mainnet keys to send tokens for verification, contact @lexaMichaelides on Discord for help.

If you’re already registered for the Testnet Incentives Program on Hypha’s Interchain Security testnet, no action required! You’ll be automatically counted in ISLE and eligible for rewards. Our usual Testnet Incentives Program will not overlap with ISLE, and we will resume TIP afterward with a new (easier) criteria list. Stay tuned!

Want more info?

  • Check out the schedule and daily tasks in Github here. Tasks are subject to change, but reading ahead is still recommended.
  • Stay tuned to the #testnet-announcements channel in Discord. The @interchain security role will be tagged for all relevant announcements.