Since its launch three months ago, the Rooch testnet has been operating smoothly, demonstrating impressive performance. During this phase, the network processed a total transactions of 130,671,859 , with 7,541 unique addresses participating. The minting of HODLcoin has allowed users to test Rooch’s self-staking mining mechanism, enabling them to earn yields directly from their tBTC stored in their wallets—eliminating the need for bridging or staking on Rooch Portal. Additionally, the Rooch Clicker Game highlights our unique session key functionality, allowing users to complete multiple transactions with a single click, thereby enhancing the overall user experience.
With the successful execution of our testnet and the diligent efforts of our technical team, we are excited to announce that Rooch Network is ready to embark on its next chapter: the pre-mainnet phase.
Pre-Mainnet Overview
The pre-mainnet serves as the pre-release mainnet of Rooch Network, having synchronized all historical transactions from Bitcoin Genesis. We will conduct the following work on Pre-mainnet:
- Gradual iteration and improvement
- Enhancement of security
- Implementation of decentralization
- Exploration of application scenarios in the Bitcoin ecosystem
- Gradual transition to the official Mainnet
Through this pre-mainnet phase, we aim to lay a solid foundation for Rooch's official mainnet, ensuring the network's security, stability, and scalability.
As the application layer for Bitcoin, Rooch facilitates both utility and yield generation for BTC and other Bitcoin assets, including Ordinals, BRC-20, etc. A distinctive feature of Rooch is its non-custodial approach, allowing users to interact with Rooch-powered Bitcoin applications directly through their own Bitcoin wallets, without the need to transfer their Bitcoin to a third-party custodial wallet or bridge. The pre-mainnet will showcase Rooch’s ability to enable native Bitcoin applications and unlock yields for BTC in a fully non-custodial manner.
How to Participate in the Rooch Pre-Mainnet
You may be wondering how to engage with the Rooch pre-mainnet. We are pleased to announce that there will be incentivized campaigns during this phase, which are closely tied to the upcoming Rooch mainnet airdrop. Unlike other chains, Rooch operates a dual-token economy, utilizing a gas token (“RGas”) and a governance token for distinct functions.
Claiming Your “RGas” Airdrop
To actively participate in the Rooch Network ecosystem, the first step is to acquire some gas tokens. “RGas” serves as the gas token for both the Rooch Pre-Mainnet and the Rooch Mainnet. To facilitate interaction with the Rooch Mainnet, we are excited to provide “RGas” to Bitcoin holders with UTXO in their wallet as well as to Rooch Testnet OG users. To claim your “RGas,” please visit https://portal.rooch.network/faucet (opens in a new tab) or utilize the mainnet faucet bot available in our Discord.
Bootstrap the Ecosystem with Grow Bitcoin
After claiming your “RGas,” the next important step is to earn multiple yields with your Bitcoin in a native and secure manner. At the onset of the Rooch pre-mainnet, we‘re introducing a platform named “Grow Bitcoin,” designed to bootstrap the Rooch ecosystem as well as accelerate the growth of the overall Bitcoin ecosystem. The utility of staked Bitcoin within Babylon, Bitcoin LRT protocols, and native Bitcoin will be significantly enhanced through the “Grow Bitcoin” platform.
The Grow Bitcoin platform lets you vote for your favorite Bitcoin projects and earn rewards. To make the vote, you need to prove your BTC holdings by locking different versions of BTC, be it the native BTC, or the BTC staked in Babylon protocol, or the wrapped versions of BTC.
Get started with Grow Bitcoin: https://grow.rooch.network/ (opens in a new tab)
Shout-out To Developers: Move on Bitcoin
The Move programming language is gaining momentum as a smart contract language, and its integration into the Bitcoin ecosystem is a game-changer. Starting today, Move developers can build Bitcoin applications using their preferred language on Rooch! The Rooch pre-mainnet provides all the tools needed to develop mainnet-ready applications, except for the official Rooch protocol utility token, which will launch later. The synergy between Move and Bitcoin unlocks endless possibilities, and we eagerly anticipate a thriving ecosystem of applications built on Rooch.
A New Era for Bitcoin and Rooch
The Rooch pre-mainnet represents a significant leap forward, not just for the Rooch Network but for the entire Bitcoin ecosystem. By introducing a native, non-custodial approach to Bitcoin applications, Rooch is pioneering a new era of decentralized finance, where users maintain full control of their assets while unlocking the potential of Bitcoin to generate real yields. The pre-mainnet phase is just the beginning—an opportunity to witness firsthand the groundbreaking capabilities of Rooch and be part of a journey that will reshape the future of Bitcoin. As we move toward our final mainnet launch, we invite the entire community to grow alongside Rooch, as we continue to build a more decentralized and powerful Bitcoin ecosystem.