Introduction
Launching a consumer chain is an exciting moment for both the Consumer Chain and the Cosmos Hub. This is a living document For a smooth launch, it is essential to ensure that everything is well-prepared to create a positive impression and maintain user confidence. In this blog post, we will discuss some tips that can help make your mainnet launch a success.
Be Thorough With Testing
Testing is critical to the success of your launch. Before launching your mainnet, be thorough with testing. Test as many scenarios as possible to identify and address any issues that may arise during the launch. Also, during testing – ensure that you spend time attracting validators to join. The more closely the testnet simulates mainnet conditions, the more likely you are to proactively address any issues that might arise.
Avoid Launching During Major Vacations and Holidays
It is crucial to avoid launching during major vacations and holidays because it may limit validator availability and core contributor support. Also, avoid launching on a Monday or a Friday. The ideal spawn time is Wednesday at 3PM UTC.
Ensure There is Sufficient Buffer Between Launches
Another important factor to consider when launching is the time between launches. Ensure that there is sufficient time between the launch of your consumer chain and other consumer chains and hub releases. This will give you time to address any issues that may arise before launching, and also ensure that there is sufficient time to address any post-launch issues.
Be Willing to Move Your Launch Date
It’s important to be flexible when launching. You should be willing to move your launch date if necessary. For instance, if there are security issues or emergency upgrades required, it’s best to delay the launch until the issues are resolved. This may also entail launching after your specified spawn time. Please note that you have approximately a two week window after the spawn time to start producing blocks, but this does have downstream impacts on the Cosmos Hub due to the “unbonding pause” functionality of the protocol.
Practice Running Your Core Infrastructure Before Mainnet
Before launching your mainnet, it’s crucial to practice running your core infrastructure at scale, in particular, relayers and seed nodes. Running tests at scale will help you identify and address any issues that may arise during the launch and also ensure that the Cosmos Hub validators and users have a good experience with your chain.
Finalize Your Documentation Before Spawn Time
Before launching your mainnet, ensure that your documentation is finalized. This will help users, validators, and developers understand how to interact with your network and drastically reduce the resources required in the launch process.
Finalize Your Genesis File Before Going On-Chain
Validators expect to understand the software they are running before the chain is live. When possible, finalize your genesis file before going on-chain. If you cannot do so, ensure that your Genesis file is stable at least one week before the voting period ends so that validators and community members can be aware of what they are voting on. If you make any changes to the Genesis file, be transparent about the changes.
Conclusion
Launching a mainnet is an exciting and challenging moment for any consumer chain. By following the tips discussed in this post, you can increase the chances of a smooth entry into the ATOM Economic Zone.