We are pleased to announce that BitGo now supports testnet4, offering our users a much more reliable environment for testing Bitcoin applications. Whether you are developing wallets, dApps, or any other Bitcoin-related tools, we highly recommend making the switch to testnet4 to take advantage of the improvements and avoid the pitfalls of testnet3.
Why You Should Move to Testnet4
Bitcoin testnet3 has become increasingly unreliable due to several external factors that have impacted its stability:
-
Unstable Mining Activity: While anyone can mine on testnet3, malicious actors often disrupt the network by mining empty blocks or flooding it with unnecessary transactions. This slows down the network, making it difficult for developers to properly test their applications and ensure smooth functionality.
-
Difficulty Adjustments: The rules for adjusting mining difficulty on testnet3 are easily exploitable, leading to sudden, extreme fluctuations in the number of blocks mined. These swings can delay transaction confirmations, causing further interruptions and making the network less predictable for developers.
-
Network Abuse: As testnet3 coins hold no real value, they are often abused by some users who flood the network with spam, causing a huge spike in fees, or hoarding coins. This type of behavior disrupts normal network activity and complicates testing for legitimate developers.
Transition to Testnet4
To resolve these issues and provide a more stable testing environment, the Bitcoin community has introduced testnet4. This new testnet incorporates several improvements designed to mitigate the problems seen on testnet3:
-
Improved Stability: Testnet4 addresses challenges with mining and network congestion, ensuring that the test environment remains stable and more predictable for developers.
-
Better Difficulty Adjustments: The difficulty adjustments on testnet4 are more robust, providing smoother and more consistent mining conditions for testing.
-
Reduced Network Abuse: New measures in testnet4 make it more resilient to spam and hoarding, resulting in a more functional network for developers to test their applications.
For more information about the external factors contributing to the issues with testnet3, including griefing attacks and network disruptions, read this in-depth article by Jameson Lopp. It provides additional context on these challenges and their impact on the testnet environment.
How to Transition
Transitioning to testnet4 is simple:
-
Create a New Wallet: In the BitGo UI or SDK, create a new tbtc4 wallet.
-
Use a Faucet: Once the wallet is created, use a publicly available faucet to fund the new wallet. Please note that testnet3 funds cannot be transferred to testnet4 wallets, so you need to fund your testnet4 wallet separately.
As part of this transition, please note that testnet3 wallets will be deprecated in early 2025.
We recommend that all users move to testnet4 well before this deadline to ensure continued stability and support for their testing activities.
The latest
All News
About BitGo
BitGo is the digital asset infrastructure company, delivering custody, wallets, staking, trading, financing, and settlement services from regulated cold storage. Since our founding in 2013, we have been focused on accelerating the transition of the financial system to a digital asset economy. With a global presence and multiple regulated entities, BitGo serves thousands of institutions, including many of the industry's top brands, exchanges, and platforms, and millions of retail investors worldwide. For more information, visit www.bitgo.com.
©2026 BitGo, Inc. (collectively with its parent, affiliates, and subsidiaries, “BitGo”). All rights reserved. BitGo Bank & Trust, National Association (“BitGo Bank & Trust”) is a national trust bank chartered and regulated by the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC). BitGo Bank & Trust is a wholly-owned subsidiary of BitGo Holdings, Inc., a Delaware corporation headquartered in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Other BitGo entities include BitGo, Inc. and BitGo Prime LLC, each of which is a separately operated affiliate of BitGo Bank & Trust. BitGo does not offer legal, tax, accounting, or investment advisory services. The information contained herein is for informational and marketing purposes only and should not be construed as legal, tax, or investment advice. Digital assets are subject to a high degree of risk, including the possible loss of the entire principal amount invested. Past performance and illustrative examples do not guarantee future results. BitGo Holdings, Inc., BitGo Bank & Trust, BitGo, Inc. and BitGo Prime LLC are not registered broker-dealers and are not members of the Securities Investor Protection Corporation (“SIPC”) or the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”). Digital assets held in custody are not guaranteed by BitGo and are not subject to the insurance protections of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (“FDIC”) or SIPC. This communication contains forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements include all statements that are not historical facts. These statements may include words such as “aim,” “anticipate,” “assume,” “believe,” “contemplate,” “continue,” “could,” “estimate,” “expect,” “forecast,” “foreseeable,” “guidance,” “intend,” “likely,” “may,” “objectives,” “outlook,” “plan,” “potentially,” “predict,” “project,” “seek,” “should,” “target,” “will,” “would,” or variations of these terms and similar expressions. Such forward-looking statements are subject to various risks and uncertainties. Accordingly, there are or will be important factors that could cause actual outcomes or results to differ materially from those indicated in these statements. These factors include but are not limited to those described under “Risk Factors” in BitGo Holdings, Inc.’s registration statement on Form S-1, as amended, relating to the initial public offering. These factors should not be construed as exhaustive and should be read in conjunction with the other cautionary statements that are included in the registration statement. Although BitGo believes that the expectations reflected in its forward-looking statements are reasonable, it cannot guarantee future results. BitGo undertakes no obligation to publicly update or review any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise, except as required by law.