Citrea Launches Limited Testnet on Bitcoin: Details on Zero-Knowledge Rollup Program

Airdrop Citrea Overview

Citrea, a zero-knowledge rollup solution built on the Bitcoin network, is currently operating a testnet program that has attracted significant attention from the airdrop community due to its limited participant capacity. The project enables secure development of decentralized applications (dApps) and programmable use of BTC through zero-knowledge technology. Citrea successfully raised $14 million in funding on October 31, 2024, led by Founders Fund with participation from Maven11, dao5, ZKV, and other investors, with the goal of expanding Bitcoin into a programmable asset. The testnet program serves to prepare for mainnet launch while allowing early users to experience the platform's capabilities, including its BitVM-powered Clementine bridge and Safe wallet integration. The campaign includes the "Unfreeze ₿apps" initiative, which celebrates the first applications utilizing BTC in a non-custodial manner secured by the Bitcoin network.

How to join the Citrea airdrop?

Citrea's testnet program consists of two main participation tracks:

Track 1 – Core Testnet Activities:

Step 1: Access the official faucet at citrea.xyz/faucet, click "Connect Wallet" and connect a compatible wallet to the platform.

Step 2: Select "Login to use Faucet" and connect both X (Twitter) and Discord accounts for verification purposes. Click "Request Faucet" and wait approximately one minute to receive confirmation of successful token distribution.

Step 3: Navigate to "Citrea Testnet" in the top menu bar and select "Bridge" to access the bridging interface. After receiving tokens, select "Generate New" to create a taproot address for deposits. The Clementine bridge on Citrea testnet uses BitVM technology and supports transfers of exactly 10 BTC from Testnet4; for smaller amounts, users can utilize the faucet or third-party bridges.

Step 4: Create a Safe wallet for enhanced interaction by visiting safe.citrea.xyz/welcome and connecting your wallet. Select "Create account" and input the new wallet information, then proceed through each setup step by clicking "Next." At the final step, choose the payment method (pay immediately or pay with first transaction) and select "Create Account." Users can then experience sending and receiving functions similar to standard wallets. To increase interaction activity, participants can find other wallet addresses within the Citrea community groups for test transactions.

Track 2 – ₿apps Testnet Campaign:

The "Unfreeze ₿apps" campaign showcases non-custodial applications utilizing BTC with Bitcoin network security.

Step 1: Access bapps.citrea.xyz/quest and select "Read the ₿app Manifesto" to begin participation.

Step 2: Click "Faucet," log in, and link your wallet to receive testnet tokens for the ₿apps ecosystem.

Step 3: On Citrea, select "Connect Wallet" and enter an invitation code (obtainable from Discord or through social media posts tagged with @citrea_xyz and #Bapps). Complete the available tasks to mint the Bapper Badge NFT as proof of participation.

Regarding technical requirements, users need EVM-compatible wallets for the testnet. Social media account connections (X and Discord) are mandatory for faucet access. No KYC requirements have been announced. The testnet is capacity-limited, suggesting early participation may be advantageous. While no official airdrop allocation has been confirmed, the points and NFT badge system implies potential future reward distribution based on testnet activity.

Summary

Citrea's testnet program demonstrates the project's approach to bringing zero-knowledge rollup technology to the Bitcoin ecosystem while preparing for mainnet deployment. For the community, this represents an opportunity to engage with Bitcoin programmability features that have traditionally been limited, including dApp development and advanced wallet functionality through Safe integration. For the project, the limited-capacity testnet serves as both a technical validation phase and a community-building initiative ahead of mainnet launch. The dual-track structure combining core protocol testing with the ₿apps showcase illustrates Citrea's focus on demonstrating practical use cases for programmable Bitcoin. The requirement for social verification and invitation codes, combined with the capacity restrictions, suggests a selective approach to building an engaged early adopter community familiar with the platform's BitVM-based bridging mechanism and zero-knowledge infrastructure