Acala Mandala Testnet TC9 is Acala’s public test environment on Polkadot for validating EVM+ smart contracts, XCM cross-chain messaging, DeFi pallets (DEX, liquid staking, stablecoin), and bridge integrations using the mACA test token before mainnet deployment. For comparison metrics: block time is ~6s (parachain-aligned), typical EVM transfer costs are ~21k gas at ~1 gwei-equivalent (~0.000021 mACA; near-zero in fiat), sustained throughput ranges in the tens to low hundreds TPS, and activity is faucet-driven with spikes during coordinated test events. It provides faucets, public RPCs, and explorers so teams can safely test end-to-end user flows and cross-chain routes.
It uniquely combines Acala’s EVM+ (Solidity-compatible execution with direct access to Substrate pallets via precompiles) and “pay fees in any token,” delivering a smoother developer and user experience than standard EVM testnets. Native interoperability via Polkadot XCM/HRMP enables real cross-chain asset and message testing, while governance-controlled, deterministic upgrades mirror Acala mainnet—yielding predictable low fees, fast ~6s blocks, and a feature-rich DeFi runtime for cross-chain dApp and bridge development.
Acala Mandala Testnet TC9 uses mACA as the gas token for transaction fees. You can obtain mACA by bridging from other chains or purchasing using thirdweb Bridge, or through faucets (for testnet).
To bridge mACA to Acala Mandala Testnet TC9, connect your wallet to thirdweb bridge, select your source chain, choose the token you want to bridge, select Acala Mandala Testnet TC9 as the destination, enter the amount, and confirm the transaction. The bridge will handle the cross-chain transfer instantly.
To build on Acala Mandala Testnet TC9 you can use thirdweb, which provides an easy way to build, monetize and scale your apps, games or agents. You can find detailed guides and documentation on https://portal.thirdweb.com to get started quickly.
To add Acala Mandala Testnet TC9 to your wallet, you can connect your wallet and click on [Add to Wallet] button at the top of the page. Alternatively, you can add the network manually using the RPC URL and chain details and add it to your wallet's network settings.
To send mACA on Acala Mandala Testnet TC9, ensure your wallet is connected to the Acala Mandala Testnet TC9 network, enter the recipient's address, specify the amount of mACA to send, review the gas fee, and confirm the transaction in your wallet.
