Try Ark on signet
Today we're launching our implementation of the Ark protocol on signet. This is our first major step toward bringing Ark to bitcoin mainnet, and we're inviting the developer community to help us test, explore, and break things (preferably in that order).
Get your apps ready for Ark's launch
The Ark protocol is a new bitcoin layer two that enables fast, low-cost payments without sacrificing self custody.
Ark offers bitcoin users a whole new way to transact, while also making it much easier to deliver self-custodial Lightning in your apps.
But Ark is unlike anything built on bitcoin so far, so there are a few new concepts to get to grips with, like sends and refreshes, rounds and expiry, and off-boarding and exits.
If you're interested in being a first mover, the time is now to start getting comfortable with the tech. Nothing beats getting hands-on.
Why signet?
Ark is still in alpha, and it can lose you sats. There's time for recklessness, but now isn't it. Signet provides the perfect sandbox—a bitcoin testnet with predictable block times and network conditions that closely mirror mainnet.
Testing tools at your disposal
To make testing as straightforward as possible, we've created two companion tools:
Signet faucet
No one likes having to hunt down signet sats. Our faucet makes it simple to request signet sats over both Ark and "on-chain".
Test store
Somewhere to spend your signet sats. Buy Byte treats on our simple test store that accepts signet payments over Lightning (bark supports sending Lightning payments!)
Collecting usage data and feedback
This signet deployment is also going to help our team prepare for mainnet launch beyond basic bug hunting. We're especially interested in getting some basic usage data so we can begin optimizing our liquidity management (both Ark and Lightning liquidity). Data from testers is not going to match real-world usage, but we have to start somewhere!
It's important to gather feedback on the developer experience too, so make sure you share both the good and the bad!
Work in progress
One feature you'll notice is conspicuously absent: Lightning receive functionality. We're aware of this limitation and actively working on it.
We also haven't yet implemented any transaction fees—we're still researching what makes most sense here. If you want to send free transactions, now is the time 👌.
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Get started
The fastest way to get started is to follow our new signet testing guide. That covers everything from getting bark running on your device (Linux, macOS, and Windows supported) to funding the wallet, to making payments over Ark and Lightning.
Let us know how you get on in our new forum and thanks for helping us pioneer the next frontier of bitcoin payment tech!