Somnia, a high-speed, Ethereum-compatible blockchain, launched its Shannon Testnet today as part of its push toward mainnet readiness. Named after information theory pioneer Claude Shannon, the testnet follows DevNet benchmarks exceeding 1 million transactions per second (TPS), offering developers a scalable platform for real-world applications. The Shannon Testnet introduces multiple third-party validators and staking protocols, enhancing decentralization and security. During DevNet testing, it processed over 3.6 million transactions across 300,000+ unique addresses, with sub-second finality and sub-cent transaction fees. The time is NOW! Somnia’s Testnet: Shannon is LIVE. 🚀 https://t.co/8xNRJIm1kB Built to handle MILLIONS of users: fast, stable, and ready for real-world apps at scale. We’re aiming to have at least 1 MILLION users test it out! ✅ All essential dev tools integrated ✅ Live… pic.twitter.com/qaw3beo6i3 — Somnia – a Fully Onchain World (@Somnia_Network) February 21, 2025 “Shannon Testnet is the proving ground for a fully on-chain future,” Somnia founder Paul Thomas said in a statement to crypto.news, emphasizing its ability to handle millions of users at internet scale. This launch provides developers with an opportunity to stress-test applications under real-world conditions. Somnia’s website outlines the testnet’s rollout, supported by infrastructure partners for seamless app deployment. The company claims its MultiStream Consensus enables parallel transaction execution without slowdowns, making Shannon a key testing ground for congestion resistance. You might also like: UXLINK reveals 2025 plans: launch of PayFi and social growth layer test net Tech and use cases driving shannon testnet Somnia’s tech stack includes accelerated sequential execution and IceDB, a high-speed database with nanosecond-level read/write speeds. “ With 1M+ TPS, sub-second finality, and MultiStream Consensus, developers can build without limits , and millions of users can experience blockchain at true internet scale ,” Thomas noted. These features aim to support reactive apps, on-chain gaming, scalable DeFi, and metaverse platforms. Context from the blockchain space This launch aligns with a trend of blockchain testnets gearing up for 2025 mainnets. Ethereum’s Spectra Devnet5, launched in January 2025, targets a March mainnet debut with sharding upgrades for scalability, per a recent crypto.news report . Meanwhile, Hyperliquid’s HyperEVM testnet, live since late 2024, focuses on DeFi innovation with rapid transaction processing, fueling 2025 hype. You might also like: Botanix Labs launches final testnet for its Bitcoin L2
