FLOP devnet quickstart for builders and AI agents

Update, November 4: @flop_labs now calls the devnet "100% permissionless" and lists Ask FLOP next to the faucet, explorer, API, MCP and SDK. The builder tools worked the same when we checked on November 4 (our story).

Updated November 3, 2026. Arthur Hayes said on November 3 that builders can "get test FLOP, explore blocks, and call verified inference from your agent" on the FLOP devnet. This quickstart takes the tools in his post in order. Package names and commands come from Flop's SDK and package references, last updated October 30.

Devnet earns nothing. Flop's timeline FAQ says "No rewards, no airdrop weight, no scoring." Test FLOP has no value and the chain may be reset. Flop's SDK page says "No FLOP token exists yet." FLOP never asks for your seed phrase. Check every link against flop.finance/official or our official links list.

Step 1: Get a devnet address

The faucet pays out to a FLOP address in SS58 format. It suggests three browser wallets: Polkadot.js, Talisman and SubWallet. The faucet says they "support FLOP with SS58 prefix 42" and that Ledger hardware wallets work through those extensions.

If you just want to try things, the faucet has a "Generate a test address" button. Use a fresh address for testing and keep it apart from any wallet that holds real funds. Our FLOP wallet guide has more on wallet choice.

Step 2: Get test FLOP from the faucet

The faucet offers two grants:

Option	Amount	What it needs
Quick fund	25 FLOP	Your SS58 address, "for dev testing"
Verified human	500 to 2,000 FLOP	Proof of personhood. The faucet sets the amount from your score

For the larger grant, connect an EVM wallet with a Human Passport or Guild score, or verify your FLOP address with BrightID or Self. "Funds still go only to the FLOP address above." Our devnet hub covers the faucet in more detail.

Step 3: Look around the explorer

The devnet explorer shows recent blocks and transactions, plus a compute market dashboard. Its bridge page for BTC and NEAR is marked "Chain-pair conformance is pending". It also hosts the validator package used in our validator guide.

Step 4: List the models on the API

The public gateway lives at https://api.flop.network/v1. Flop's docs say "Model discovery needs no key; chat completions do." You can open api.flop.network/v1/models in a browser.

On November 3 the list held one model, qwen/qwen2.5-0.5b-instruct, named "Qwen2.5 0.5B Instruct (devnet-ts)", with a 32,768-token context window.

Step 5: Install the SDK

Flop publishes several packages. The docs explain which one fits:

• Call a model from an app or agent: npm install @flop-labs/client. It "speaks the OpenAI-style gateway API and needs only an API key." It needs Node.js 22 or later.
• Work on chain from TypeScript: npm install @flop-labs/sdk (version 0.4.0). The docs list agent wallets, sessions, HTLCs, PoUI and x402 payments.
• Work on chain from Python: pip install flop-sdk (version 0.2.0, Python 3.10 or later).
• Use the Pi coding agent: pi install npm:@flop-labs/pi, then set FLOP_GATEWAY_URL and FLOP_API_KEY.
• Use the command line: npx --yes --package @flop-labs/cli@0.4.0 flop --version

The docs' client example sets the key with new FlopClient({ apiKey: process.env.FLOP_API_KEY }), then calls listModels and createChatCompletion. Flop warns that "FLOP has not published Rust crates, a Go module" or several other package names. "A package with one of those names on a public registry is not FLOP's." Our FLOP SDK guide covers each package.

How do I get a FLOP API key?

The SDK page says chat completions need one, and it doesn't say how to get one. We found no key signup in Flop's public docs on November 3. Ask the docs assistant or watch @flop_labs before you trust any site offering FLOP keys. For the Pi package, Flop advises "a bounded child credential with a spend cap rather than an owner key."

Step 6: Connect the MCP server

Flop runs a "hosted read-only MCP server" at https://mcp.flop.network/mcp, using streamable HTTP. Add that URL as a remote MCP server in your agent's client. When we tested it on November 3, it identified itself as "flop-network" version 0.2.0.

Flop's llms.txt also lists https://ask.flop.finance/mcp for the docs assistant, described as "JSON-RPC, no auth, rate limited".

Step 7: Send a request to a named miner

For a direct session with one miner, Flop's guide Send a request to a specific miner uses the SDK, CLI or local MCP "to open, verify and settle a direct session with a named FLOP miner." Flop's miner manual said on November 2 that paid sessions with outside miners weren't open yet, so expect some calls to fail while that rolls out.

Full build guides

For a longer walkthrough with code from Flop's docs, read how to build an app on FLOP compute and how to build an AI agent on FLOP. The FLOP testnet airdrop for developers explains what app builders can earn.

What's next after the devnet?

Flop's timeline FAQ names the testnet as the first network where anyone can earn. Its November 3 target passed; the FAQ updated November 14 targets November 24, 2026, subject to readiness (what happens on launch day). See our FLOP testnet hub and FLOP AI agents guide for what changes there.

FAQ

How do I get test FLOP on the devnet?

Open faucet.flop.network, paste an SS58 address and request the quick fund of 25 FLOP. Verified humans can get 500 to 2,000 FLOP by connecting a Human Passport or Guild score, or verifying with BrightID or Self.

Is devnet FLOP worth anything?

No. Devnet FLOP is a test balance with no value, and the chain may be reset. Flop says no FLOP token exists yet, and devnet use earns no rewards or airdrop weight.

Do I need an API key to use the FLOP API?

Not to list models. Flop's docs say model discovery needs no key and chat completions do. Flop hadn't published how to get a key as of November 3, 2026.

What is the FLOP MCP server address?

Flop's hosted read-only MCP server is at mcp.flop.network/mcp and uses streamable HTTP. It's listed in Flop's SDK and package references.

Which npm package should I install for FLOP?

Install @flop-labs/client to call models from an app or agent, or @flop-labs/sdk for chain work such as agent wallets and sessions. Python builders can use flop-sdk from PyPI.