In this post, we’ll share what’s next on our roadmap and the tools you can use to track time estimates for milestones.

As we announced in this blog post, we launched the Filecoin testnet (on schedule!) and are currently in the midst of an important testing phase, including benchmarking and optimization testing. The purpose of the testnet is to meaningfully evaluate Filecoin and fix any bugs to ensure a secure, performant, and interoperable mainnet. Read more about the testnet launch and how to get involved in making this network a success here.

We’ve updated our public roadmap document ( https://docs.google.com/document/d/1cgss-rifFO2iSJgnMmOsD_tPal40MUp1m7crTFQuVYQ/edit# ). In a nutshell, this is where we are (the phases are not the same length).

What's next

Looking ahead to mainnet launch, here are the critical path workflows, their approximate durations, and dependencies.

Testnet Phase 1. In Testnet Phase 1, Filecoin will be extensively tested, including benchmarks and optimization tests. Since this is our first testnet at scale, we may discover vulnerabilities that require re-evaluation of major components of Filecoin. During this time, we will address these issues to make the Filecoin protocol and implementations more secure, efficient, and interoperable. Testnet Phase 1 will involve high-velocity development and non-trivial code changes. NOTE: the testnet will not be a stable network and will be restarted at least once, and possibly multiple times.

Testnet Phase 2. After Phase 1, we hope to enter Testnet Phase 2 with multiple Filecoin implementations that are secure, performant, and interoperable . Testnet Phase 2 will mark a feature freeze and will be followed by at least two months of formal testing, validation, and security audits. As a reminder, our most critical requirement for launching mainnet is that Filecoin is secure. We will not launch an insecure network. We may extend this phase if any serious security issues are discovered.

In Testnet Phase 2, we will also be launching a number of initiatives:

• Trusted Installer Phase 2: In Testnet Phase 2, we will begin the second phase of the Trusted Installer Phase. Learn more about how to participate in the Trusted Setup Ceremony here.

• Updated hardware testing configuration for mainnet: We will release updated mainnet hardware testing configuration in Testnet Phase 2. You can read about our latest testnet hardware configuration here.

• Dev Tool Collaboration: Our goal is to launch mainnet with a more powerful developer toolkit for building applications on Filecoin. We’re looking for collaborators to help us build these tools and a great Filecoin development experience. (If you’re interested, please submit a proposal to the Filecoin DevGrants program! The second wave closes on January 15, 2019.)

• And much more!

This is just a preview of some of the ecosystem initiatives. We will describe these programs in more detail in our blog; stay tuned!

Mainnet launch. Finally, we estimate four weeks for mainnet launch and any necessary preparations. We aim to launch early in this window, but include a buffer in case something unexpected happens.

Roadmap Tools

We recently put together a public Gantt chart that allows us to share critical path workflows and updated timing information. The tool looks like ? , which can be accessed at this link ( https://app.instagantt.com/shared/s/1152992274307505/latest ).

The milestones we discussed in the previous section are located in the Gantt chart. We will update this tool directly ( https://app.instagantt.com/shared/s/1152992274307505/latest ) as the timing information is updated.

Upcoming Milestones

The approximate timing of our upcoming milestones are:

• Testnet Phase 1: Now - January 17, 2020

• Testnet Phase 2: January 20, 2020 - March 20, 2020

• Mainnet launch window: March 23 - April 24, 2020

As always, these dates are best estimates, but are subject to change. We provided a more detailed view into the roadmap because our community overwhelmingly requested more frequent "best estimate" updates, even though those updates are subject to change. We are doing our best to provide accurate timing information, but please understand that this information is not static -- it will change.

We hope this tool helps on the road to mainnet launch! As always, thank you for your continued support. Onwards!