Testnet Quickstart

Shardeum Testnet Quickstart

Get connected to Shardeum testnet, fund your wallet, send a test transaction, and start building with familiar EVM tools.

This guide is the fastest way to begin using Shardeum testnet. Whether you are integrating wallets, testing deposits and withdrawals, deploying contracts, or validating basic application flows, this page walks you through the essential setup in one place.

What You Will Do Here

By the end of this guide, you will be able to:

Add Shardeum testnet to your wallet
Fund your wallet with testnet SHM
Send a transaction on testnet
Verify the transaction in the explorer
Move on to smart contract deployment or RPC integration

Before You Begin

Make sure you have:

An EVM-compatible wallet such as MetaMask
A test wallet address you control
Access to the Shardeum Discord if you want faucet tokens

If you are integrating through backend services or exchange infrastructure, you can skip the wallet-specific parts and use the RPC and explorer details below.

Testnet Network Details

Use the following official Shardeum EVM testnet configuration:

Network name: Shardeum EVM Testnet
RPC URL: https://api-mezame.shardeum.org
Chain ID: 8119
Native currency symbol: SHM
Explorer: https://explorer-mezame.shardeum.org

Testnet Setup Guide

Step 1: Add Shardeum testnet to your wallet

If you are using MetaMask or another EVM-compatible wallet, add the Shardeum testnet network using the configuration above.

Step 2: Claim Testnet SHM

To pay for test transactions or contract deployment, request testnet SHM from the faucet

Join Shardeum Discord
Verify your Discord account on the Shardeum Discord server by clicking on the Shardeum emoji logo.
Go to the evm-faucet channel in Shardeum Discord
Type the following command and insert your wallet address in the faucet text channel you are in (a black box with address will appear after you type /faucet):

/faucet [address: yourMetamaskWalletAddress]

If successful, testnet SHM will be sent to your wallet. Testnet SHM is only for development and testing.

Step 3: Send Your First Test Transaction

Once your wallet is funded:

Open your wallet
Select Shardeum EVM Testnet
Send a small amount of testnet SHM to another test address you control
Confirm the transaction

This verifies that your wallet is connected correctly, the network configuration is working, and your address can send and receive on testnet

Step 4: Verify the Transaction in the Explorer

Open the Shardeum testnet explorer and search for your wallet address or the transaction hash. You can also use the explorer to confirm transaction status, sender and recipient, gas usage, and block inclusion.

Step 5: Choose Your Next Path

Once your basic setup is working, continue based on your use case.

For smart contract deployment

If you want to deploy and test contracts, continue with one of the tool-specific guides listed here

For dApp Development

If you are building a frontend or testing dApp flows, continue to:

For exchange, wallet, or backend integration

If your team is validating transfers, deposits, withdrawals, or balance checks:

Use the public RPC endpoint listed above for initial integration and validation
- For greater reliability or operational control, consider running an RPC node. For supported methods and examples, refer to the JSON-RPC Guide. And if needed, you can also contact the Shardeum team about partner-grade endpoint options
Submit standard Ethereum JSON-RPC requests
Monitor addresses and transactions in the explorer

Example RPC usage

You can use the public testnet RPC endpoint with standard Ethereum JSON-RPC methods.

Check chain ID

curl -X POST https://api-mezame.shardeum.org \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "jsonrpc":"2.0",
    "method":"eth_chainId",
    "params":[],
    "id":1
  }'

Other useful methods include:

eth_getBalance
eth_getTransactionCount
eth_getTransactionReceipt
eth_call

This makes it easy to validate connectivity before moving on to balance checks, transaction tracking, or contract interactions.

Troubleshooting

1. I cannot see the network in my wallet

Recheck the RPC URL, chain ID, and network name against the official Network Endpoints & Explorer page.

2. My transaction is not visible

Wait briefly, then search again using the transaction hash or wallet address in the testnet explorer. Also make sure you are checking the testnet explorer, not the mainnet explorer. The current testnet explorer listed in the docs is https://explorer-mezame.shardeum.org

3. I want to integrate programmatically

Use the JSON-RPC Guide for supported methods and examples, then continue with your preferred SDK or backend stack. For dApp or frontend development, you can also use our boilerplate page to accelerate setup.

You’re Now Connected to Shardeum Testnet

You have successfully connected to Shardeum testnet, funded your wallet, and completed your first transaction. As mentioned above, you can now explore smart contract deployment, dApp development, or backend integrations based on your use case.

Testnet Quickstart

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