In October 2019, the Ethereum Classic community launched the Mordor testnet — a dedicated proof-of-work test network that mirrors ETC mainnet conditions.
Why Mordor
Previous ETC testnets had limitations: some used proof-of-authority consensus (which behaves differently from proof-of-work), and others suffered from instability. Mordor was designed from the ground up as a proper PoW testnet using the same ETChash algorithm as ETC mainnet.
Technical Details
- Chain ID: 63 (0x3f)
- Consensus: Proof-of-work (ETChash)
- Block time: ~13 seconds (matching mainnet)
- Network upgrades: Activates upgrades before mainnet for testing
What Mordor Provides
For Developers
- Deploy and test smart contracts in a realistic PoW environment
- Test gas estimation with real mining dynamics
- Verify contract behavior under actual consensus conditions
For Client Teams
- Test network upgrade implementations before mainnet activation
- Run multi-client compatibility tests
- Verify fork transitions at specific block numbers
For Miners
- Test mining software configurations
- Verify pool compatibility
- Benchmark hardware performance
Testnet ETC
Mordor ETC has no monetary value. Developers can obtain testnet ETC from community faucets to deploy contracts and test transactions without cost.
Ongoing Use
Mordor continues to serve as ETC's primary testnet. All network upgrades — including Atlantis, Agharta, Phoenix, Magneto, Mystique, Thanos, and Spiral — were activated on Mordor before mainnet deployment. The upcoming Olympia upgrade will follow the same pattern.