Signet is a controlled Bitcoin testnet introduced in BIP-325. Unlike the old Testnet3, Signet blocks are signed by a trusted party, making it stable and reliable for development.
Why Signet over Testnet3
| Testnet3 | Signet | |
|---|---|---|
| Block time | Unpredictable | ~10 minutes |
| Reorganizations | Frequent | Rare |
| Stability | Poor | High |
| Recommended for | Legacy tools | All new projects |
Option 1 — Bitcoin Core
If you run Bitcoin Core, add this to bitcoin.conf:
signet=1
Then start the node:
bitcoind -signet -daemon
Create a wallet and get an address:
bitcoin-cli -signet createwallet "testdev"
bitcoin-cli -signet getnewaddress
Option 2 — Sparrow Wallet
Sparrow has built-in Signet support:
- Open Sparrow → File → Preferences → Server.
- Select Public Server and choose a Signet-compatible server.
- Create a new wallet and set the network to Signet.
Get Signet BTC from a faucet
With your tb1... Signet address, request coins from one of these faucets:
- signet.bc-2.jp — reliable community faucet
- signetfaucet.com — DG Lab community faucet
Both are listed with live status in the Faucets section of this site.
Verify your balance
bitcoin-cli -signet getbalance
Or check your address in the Signet explorer at mempool.space/signet.
Signet vs Testnet4
Bitcoin Testnet4 launched in 2024 to replace Testnet3. For most use cases, Signet is still preferred because of its stability. Use Testnet4 only if you need to test behavior that specifically matches mainnet mining dynamics.