Ault Capital Group launched the public testnet for Ault Blockchain on February 11, 2026. The Cosmos-based Layer 1 network targets institutional trading and settlement infrastructure, similar to other recent blockchain launches focused on institutional finance.
The testnet represents the protocol's first public release. Developers, infrastructure operators, and early network participants can now access the live environment.
Ault Blockchain features full Ethereum Virtual Machine compatibility. This allows Ethereum-native smart contracts and tooling to run without modification.
Network governance operates through Ault DAO. The decentralized organization oversees protocol rules, economic parameters, and long-term upgrades via onchain voting.
The launch model diverges from typical blockchain releases. Ault Blockchain will not conduct a public token sale.
Instead, the native AULT token distributes through a protocol-controlled emissions schedule. Distribution ties to measurable network participation including consensus security and licensed infrastructure operations.
"Ault Blockchain was built the opposite way most networks are built," he said. "We started with real financial use cases and then designed the blockchain to support them."
Milton "Todd" Ault III, founder and executive chairman of Ault Capital Group, explained the approach.
The network introduces a licensed participation framework for infrastructure operators. Licensed Mining Nodes perform defined off-chain services, beginning with cryptographic randomness at launch.
Proof-of-Stake validators and delegators secure network consensus separately. They collect transaction fees under transparent, DAO-governed economics.
Four infrastructure partners support the testnet launch. B-Harvest serves as primary development partner for protocol engineering. Xangle develops official explorers and data hubs.
QuickNode provides RPC infrastructure for network access and reliability. Protofire supports Safe-related tooling across EVM environments.
The testnet follows completion of an initial protocol security audit. Additional validator onboarding and ecosystem testing precede mainnet launch.
Mainnet deployment occurs after meeting additional testing milestones. At genesis, the chain launches with core protocol modules, EVM compatibility, an initial validator set, and onchain governance.
Future development includes spot trading on decentralized exchanges, lending services, and perpetuals trading. These advanced workloads may deploy as the network evolves.
The network positions itself as finance-first, institutional-grade infrastructure. It aims to support trading, settlement, and data-driven workloads with predictable economics, aligning with the growing trend of compliance-focused blockchain solutions for regulated financial markets.
Ault Capital Group operates as a diversified investment and holding company. The firm focuses on technology-driven businesses, digital assets, and financial infrastructure.
The testnet provides the first public evaluation of validator performance and infrastructure design. Community feedback will refine the protocol ahead of mainnet deployment.
Network economics align with verifiable participation rather than speculative token distribution. This approach contrasts with incentive-heavy launch models that prioritize early activity.
The public can access the testnet scanner at ault-evm-testnet.explorer.xangle.io/home. Project documentation and additional information appear on aultblockchain.com.
