Testnets

Develop and test your applications without financial risk using TRON’s dedicated testnets. This guide provides connection details for the cutting-edge Nile and stable Shasta environments, along with instructions for accessing faucets and configuring your local tools for sandbox testing.

Nile Testnet

Nile is TRON’s feature testnet — its node version runs ahead of mainnet so new protocol features can be tested before they ship. Use Nile when you need to test against upcoming protocol changes or want the most active community testing environment.

Parameter	Value
Network name	Nile
Chain ID / Network ID	3
Full node URL	https://nile.trongrid.io
Block explorer	nile.tronscan.org
Faucet	nileex.io/join/getJoinPage
Faucet amount	~2,000 test TRX per 24h

tronweb Configuration

nile_sdk.js

// Task: Configure the SDK to target the Nile Testnet FullNode.
const tronWeb = new TronWeb({
  fullHost: 'https://nile.trongrid.io',
  privateKey: process.env.PRIVATE_KEY_NILE,
});

TronBox Configuration

tronbox.js

// Task: Add the Nile network profile to your TronBox project configuration.
nile: {
  privateKey: process.env.PRIVATE_KEY_NILE,
  userFeePercentage: 100,
  feeLimit: 1000000000,
  fullHost: 'https://nile.trongrid.io',
  network_id: '3',
},

---

Shasta Testnet

Shasta is TRON’s stable testnet — its parameters mirror mainnet, making it the right choice when you want a predictable environment that matches current mainnet behavior. Both Nile and Shasta are actively maintained by the TRON DAO.

Parameter	Value
Network name	Shasta
Chain ID / Network ID	2
Full node URL	https://api.shasta.trongrid.io
Block explorer	shasta.tronscan.org
Faucet	shasta.tronex.io/join/getJoinPage
Faucet amount	Varies by network load

Requesting Testnet Tokens

Once you find the token you wish to request on the faucet page:

1. Wallet Address: Paste your T-address into the input field.
2. Verification: Complete the reCAPTCHA verification.
3. Submit: Click Obtain to submit your request. Tokens are usually delivered within seconds.

tronweb Configuration

shasta_sdk.js

// Task: Configure the SDK to target the Shasta Testnet FullNode.
const tronWeb = new TronWeb({
  fullHost: 'https://api.shasta.trongrid.io',
  privateKey: process.env.PRIVATE_KEY_SHASTA,
});

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Connecting TronLink to a Testnet

TronLink supports switching between mainnet and testnets directly in the extension.

1. Open TronLink → click the network name at the top (shows “Mainnet” by default)
2. Select Nile Testnet or Shasta Testnet from the dropdown
3. Your address remains the same — the same private key works on all networks
4. Fund the testnet address from the faucet

Testnet balance is separate from mainnet

TRX balances are per-network. Your mainnet TRX balance does not appear on Nile, and vice versa. Request testnet TRX from the faucet after switching networks.

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Deploying Contracts

Verify Your Network Before Deploying

Always confirm which network your tools are pointed at before running tronbox migrate. A mainnet deployment of an unaudited contract is irreversible.

Terminal

# Task: Deploy your smart contracts to a specific testnet using TronBox.
# Explicit network flag prevents accidental mainnet deploys
tronbox migrate --network nile

# To deploy to Shasta instead, simply change the network flag:
# tronbox migrate --network shasta

# Force a fresh redeployment (resets on-chain state)
tronbox migrate --reset --network nile

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Block Explorer Features

Both the Nile and Shasta block explorers (nile.tronscan.org and shasta.tronscan.org) provide the same powerful interface as mainnet TRONSCAN:

Contract verification

Verify source code directly on the testnet TRONSCAN. Useful for testing your verification workflow before mainnet.

Transaction tracing

Each transaction shows Energy consumed, internal calls, and event logs — identical to mainnet.

Contract interaction

Call contract methods directly from the explorer UI without writing code. Useful for quick read queries.

Token transfers

View TRC-20 transfer events and token balances for any address on the testnet.

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Testnet vs Mainnet Differences

Behavior	Testnets (Nile & Shasta)	Mainnet
TRX value	No monetary value	Real value
Energy rates	Same parameters as mainnet	Same parameters
Block time	~3 seconds	~3 seconds
Contract verification	Available on Nile and Shasta	Available on tronscan.org
SR count	27 (via testnet votes)	27 (via community votes)
Network stability	Nile: frequent updates; Shasta: stable	High stability

Testnet resets

Testnet state is occasionally reset by the TRON core team to ensure network health (Nile resets more frequently than Shasta). If your deployed test contracts disappear, the testnet has been reset. Redeploy using your migration scripts and request fresh faucet TRX.

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Local Development Node

For rapid iteration without needing a faucet or internet connection, run a local TRON development node using TronBox’s built-in development network:

Terminal

# Task: Spin up an ephemeral, local TRON node for rapid unit testing.
tronbox develop

This starts an in-memory node at http://127.0.0.1:9090 with pre-funded accounts and instant block confirmation. Add it to tronbox.js:

tronbox.js

// Task: Add the local development network profile to your TronBox configuration.
development: {
  privateKey: '0x...', // TronBox generates and prints these on startup
  userFeePercentage: 0,
  feeLimit: 1000000000,
  fullHost: 'http://127.0.0.1:9090',
  network_id: '9',
},

The development node is ephemeral — all state is lost when you stop it. Use it for unit testing contracts and use Nile for integration testing with real network conditions.