FLOP devnet guide: set up a validator, miner or agent

Update, November 9, 2026: Flop's miner manual says devnet miners have needed no invitation since November 2, and the explorer now serves validator package 0.4.0-devnet.1 (our story). On November 10 it moved to 0.4.1-devnet.1, a join fix (our story). The table below reflects these.

Update, November 4, 2026: @flop_labs posted that the devnet is "100% permissionless. No application or approval, just follow the guide." Flop's operator manuals hadn't changed when we checked, and the explorer has taken the validator package offline until a new versioned package is published (our story).

Updated November 3, 2026. Arthur Hayes announced on November 3 that the FLOP devnet is open for builders, and @flop_labs followed with "Devnet is now open to public". We wrote three setup guides from Flop's official docs. Each quotes Flop's commands as published and adds none.

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

Which devnet guide do I need?

Guide	Who it's for	Hardware	How you get in
Builder quickstart	App and agent developers	Any computer	Open to anyone with a devnet address
Validator guide	Node operators	Dedicated Linux amd64 server, no GPU	Administrator-assisted; package 0.4.1-devnet.1 since Nov 9
Miner guide	GPU owners and renters	NVIDIA GPU host with 16 GB+ VRAM (A40 validated)	No invitation since Nov 2; automatic sponsorship within a cap

Builder quickstart

Get an SS58 address, claim 25 test FLOP from the faucet, browse the explorer, list models on the public API, connect the hosted MCP server and install @flop-labs/sdk. This is the part of the devnet anyone can use today. Read the builder quickstart.

Validator guide

Download the versioned package from the explorer (0.4.1-devnet.1 since November 9, our story), verify its checksum, run pnpm onboard prepare, send your hostname and public address to FLOP operations, then join and verify once they give you network access and funding. The guide also prices two Hetzner servers against Flop's hardware profile. Read the validator guide.

Miner guide

Flop's miner manual, updated November 12, says no invitation has been needed since November 2. The guide covers the public release pack, host checks, automatic sponsorship, the env file, Compose and calibration. Mining on a gaming PC? Read mining FLOP on a home GPU. Read the miner guide.

How is the devnet different from the testnet?

The devnet is Flop's development network. Its docs mark it "devnet · next · development" and its tokens carry no value. Flop's timeline FAQ names the testnet as the first network where anyone can earn. Its November 3 working target passed without a launch. On November 13 Arthur Hayes named November 24, which Flop Labs called tentative and the timeline FAQ lists as "subject to readiness". Our launch-day guide covers what changes then. Flop Labs also said it "will not migrate any state from devnet to testnet". Follow our FLOP testnet hub and how to join the FLOP testnet for that launch, and our devnet hub for faucet and wallet details.

FAQ

Is the FLOP devnet open to everyone?

Flop Labs says so. On November 4, 2026 @flop_labs called it "100% permissionless" with "No application or approval". Anyone can use the faucet, explorer, API and MCP server. Validator onboarding is still administrator-assisted. The miner manual says no invitation has been needed since November 2.

Does using the FLOP devnet count toward the airdrop?

No. Flop's timeline FAQ says the devnet earns nothing: no rewards, no airdrop weight and no scoring. Anyone promising airdrop points for devnet activity is not FLOP.

Where are the official FLOP devnet docs?

Flop's docs live at docs.flop.network, with an operator hub for validator and miner manuals and a docs assistant at ask.flop.finance. Flop's official links page at flop.finance/official lists every official domain.