The testnet is a network where developers can test their decentralized apps, or “dapps,” to simulate what would happen on the main network and determine if their dapps are working properly.
Starting with January 2017, an anonymous miner has been sending spam to such a degree that it’s hard for developers to send transactions and smart contracts on the main testing arena.
According to CoinDesk, the address of the attacker is the same as the one associated with an earlier fork of the test network. As the miner’s identity is unknown, users have merely speculated as to why he or she (or they) are clogging the network with spam. They may be trying to prove a security-related point or may be simply trolling, the online publication continues, as there is no direct incentive for the spammer.
The ongoing spamming is reminiscent of 2016 attacks, which slowed down transactions and smart contracts on the Ethereum network for months.
The difference, of course, is this attack does not affect the main Ethereum network.
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