We’re announcing the sunset of two of our testnet networks: Photon1 and Photon2. As we build towards Mainnet launch, our latest Petnet Testnet network is now the definitive environment for all development and testing for Nillion blind apps.
Impact and Evolution
Launched in July 2024 as the Phase 2 “Catalyst Convergence,” Photon1 achieved a critical milestone: the integration of the Petnet (Photon1) with our Coordination Layer. This integration enabled developers to deploy live blind apps on the Nillion Network, paying for blind computation operations with receipt proofs from Nilchain. Photon2 followed a few months later adding additional features and improvements, further advancing the capabilities of the network.
Over the past 7 months, hundreds of developers have battle-tested these networks, creating applications that:
- Utilized the Petnet for secure storage and blind computation
- Paid Testnet $NIL for Petnet blind computation operations
- Contributed to the robustness of our network architecture
Testnet Migration Path
For developers with blind apps that live on Photon1 or Photon2, we’ve released version 0.9.0 of the Nillion SDK. Install the latest SDK, then upgrade your blind apps to use the latest Python or TypeScript Nillion client version. Finally migrate your Nillion network configuration from the current Photon Testnet configurations to the new Testnet configuration for access to significant improvements and features requested by our developer community, including:
- ECDSA secret signature functionality
- Streamlined developer experience for payments
- Error handling improvements
- Network performance optimizations
Looking Forward
The official Testnet builds directly on the foundations established during Phase 2, enhanced by months of community feedback and real-world implementation. This environment will serve as the primary testing ground as we move toward Mainnet release, ensuring your applications are ready for production deployment.
Next Steps for Developers
For a seamless transition for Nillion developers, we’ve prepared detailed migration documentation in our GitHub discussion post: https://github.com/orgs/NillionNetwork/discussions/175
Photon1 and Photon2 Testnet networks will be maintained until April 11, 2025. By that day, you need to have migrated to the latest Testnet. Our development team is available to support you throughout this transition.
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