dYdX releases Cosmos testnet, featuring sub 2s block times

dYdX has launched a public testnet of its new Cosmos SDK–based dYdX Chain, which is visible on Mintscan as the “dydx-testnet” network and is designed to deliver very fast block times of roughly sub‑2 seconds (around 0.5–1 second per block, depending on conditions). The chain uses CometBFT (Tendermint) consensus and a delegated proof‑of‑stake model, with validators taking turns proposing blocks of trades and settling orders on‑chain each block. This represents the v4 architecture of dYdX, where the order book and matching engine run directly as part of the validator process on an app‑specific Layer 1, rather than on StarkEx as in previous versions. The testnet is part of dYdX’s broader move to a standalone, open‑source blockchain optimized for decentralized perpetuals trading, high throughput, and low latency. Users and integrators can interact with the network using Cosmos tooling (such as Mintscan and Cosmos wallets as support matures), request testnet tokens from a faucet, and test core trading flows and infrastructure like market data indexers and gRPC/REST/WebSocket APIs. Sub‑2‑second block times and high order throughput (load‑tested to up to ~1,500 orders per second on the dYdX Chain) are intended to make on‑chain trading latency competitive with centralized venues while preserving non‑custodial control and enabling DYDX‑based staking and governance.

✨ AI-generated background, compiled from web sources — not editorial content.

More coverage

• dYdX - NautilusTrader Documentation (nautilustrader.io)
• Onboarding FAQs · dYdX · v4 (docs.dydx.exchange)
• Our understanding of the Cosmos Hub mempool issues (forum.cosmos.network)
• Public Testnet (v4 Milestone 4 is Complete) - dYdX (dydx.xyz)
• Announcing dYdX Chain (dydx.xyz)

Explore the topic

• dYdX
• Testnet
• Release
• Cosmos