# Join the Devnet

The **Devnet** is a public development network designed for testing new features, experimenting with smart contracts, and onboarding validators or developers — all without risking real assets.

It closely mirrors the mainnet environment, but with shorter block times, more relaxed parameters, and easier access to tokens for testing.

Use the Devnet to:

* Deploy and test CosmWasm smart contracts
* Interact with on-chain modules in a safe sandbox
* Validate node configuration before mainnet launch
* Report bugs and help improve the Axiome Chain

Whether you're a developer, validator, or just curious, Devnet is the ideal place to get started.

{% hint style="info" %}
This tutorial assumes that you understand how to [run an Axiome blockchain node](/developer-documentation/start-blockchain-node-on-ubuntu.md) and provides only a short tip for working with the devnet.
{% endhint %}

## How to Run a Devnet Node <a href="#how-to-run-a-devnet-node" id="how-to-run-a-devnet-node"></a>

Follow these steps to set up and run a node connected to the Axiome Devnet.

#### **1. Download the Devnet Build**

Download the latest version of the Devnet node binary from links below.

Linux x86\_64:

{% embed url="<https://axiome.fra1.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/axmd/axmd-v2-0-0-alpha>" %}

You also need to download the **`libwasmvm` shared library**, which is required for CosmWasm support.

> ⚠️ Make sure to place `libwasmvm.x86_64.so` in a location accessible by your system (e.g., `/usr/lib/` or `/usr/local/lib/`), and run `ldconfig` if necessary.

{% embed url="<https://axiome.fra1.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/axmd/libwasmvm.x86_64.so>" %}

***

#### **2. Get the Genesis File**

Download the current `genesis.json` file from the provided link. At this step, we assume that the node has already been initialized with `axmd init <moniker>` and that your keys have been imported using `axmd keys add <key-name> --recover`.

{% embed url="<https://axiome.fra1.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/axmd/genesis-devnet-v2-0-0-alpha.json>" %}

And place it in your node’s configuration directory, usually located at:

```sh
~/.axmd/config/genesis.json
```

***

#### **3. Configure the Node**

Open your `config.toml` file (typically located at `~/.axmd/config/config.toml`) and set the following:

* **Persistent peers** – a list of stable nodes to connect with.
* **RPC / P2P ports** – ensure they don’t conflict with other services.

Currently our devnet peer is:

```sh
persistent_peers = "244c09ddc4e2cbeeb32e1ac9437eb9e5beed7973@206.189.115.37:26656"
```

***

#### **4. Start the Node**

Run the node using the downloaded binary:

```sh
./axmd start
```

If everything is configured correctly, your node should sync with the Devnet.

***

#### **(Optional) Create a systemd Service**

To run your node as a background service and start it automatically on boot, you can create a `systemd` unit file:

```sh
sudo nano /etc/systemd/system/axmd.service
```

Paste the following (update paths as needed):

```toml
[Unit]
Description=Axmd+Wasm service
After=multi-user.target
StartLimitIntervalSec=0

[Install]
WantedBy=multi-user.target

[Service]
WorkingDirectory=<your-node-path>
Environment="DAEMON_HOME=<your-daemon-home>"
Environment="DAEMON_NAME=axmd"
Environment="DAEMON_ALLOW_DOWNLOAD_BINARIES=true"
Environment="DAEMON_RESTART_AFTER_UPGRADE=true"
Environment="DAEMON_DATA_BACKUP_DIR=/mnt/axm"
Environment="UNSAFE_SKIP_BACKUP=true"
Type=simple
Restart=always
RestartSec=60
User=root
LimitNOFILE=262144
ExecStart=<your-node-path>/axmd start
StandardOutput=append:/var/log/axmd-wasm.log
StandardError=append:/var/log/axmd-wasm.log
```

Then enable and start the service:

```sh
sudo systemctl daemon-reexec
sudo systemctl enable axmd
sudo systemctl start axmd
```


---

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