Onyx Testnet Is Open: Test Your Code Before Deploying on Mainnet

Onyx, Gno.land's new testnet, is now live. Onyx replaces Pearl and is built to give developers a place to test their code under mainnet conditions before deploying it to mainnet.

Chain Details

Chain ID: onyx-1
Launch: 28 September 2026, 00:00 UTC
Launch version: v1.5.0, mainnet's binaries, unchanged
89 curated packages at genesis on the /v0 layout, with a package list identical to mainnet's byte for byte
Release tag: chain/onyx
Endpoints: onyx.testnets.gno.land, rpc.onyx.testnets.gno.land, seed-1.onyx.testnets.gno.land, and seed-2.onyx.testnets.gno.land

Why Onyx

Pearl served Gno.land well through the road to mainnet. With mainnet now live, developers need a testnet that behaves the way mainnet does, so that code that works on the testnet works the same way in production. Onyx runs mainnet's code one release candidate ahead and is upgraded whenever mainnet is, which means every mainnet release is rehearsed on Onyx first.

Same as Mainnet

Onyx's genesis follows mainnet's shape. It ships the same seven initial namespaces, with namespace enforcement (r/sys/names) from block 1. Governance starts from the same sole GovDAO T1 seed (aeddi), and code submission follows the same policy: packages added after genesis go through the gpao (package approvals oracle) before they are cleared, and maketx run is restricted to the seeded member. Testing on Onyx means testing against the rules your code will actually face on mainnet.

Different From Mainnet

Onyx keeps mainnet's rules but uses testnet GNOT. In place of the independence-day allocation, genesis funds four accounts: the web faucet's and the faucet agent's dispensing accounts, aeddi, and the gpao oracle. Transfers are open from genesis, with no section 126 lock and no exemption list, and there is no vesting. The network launches with one founding validator, gno-core-validator-1.

Pearl Sunsetting

With Onyx live, Pearl has been sunset and its endpoints no longer resolve. Onyx is a fresh chain, not a hardfork of Pearl, so packages and balances on Pearl do not carry over. Developers who were building on Pearl need to redeploy on Onyx.

Genesis and Binaries

The chain/onyx release carries genesis.json, genesis.json.gz, and CHECKSUMS.txt. The genesis sha256 is 4b006fd7ccdec052865accc84dd29b2b76f8b57b2560789a15eedaa88f0e26c5. Binaries are attached to the version release (v1.5.0 at launch), not to the chain release.

Validator operators should use the version listed in the Onyx upgrade ledger (UPGRADES.md) and must join with --skip-genesis-sig-verification. To regenerate genesis or join as a validator, see misc/deployments/onyx.gno.land/ in the repo.