Bitcoin (CRYPTO:BTC) Everlight announced the launch of its public node onboarding and transaction testing phase to expand Bitcoin payment infrastructure without altering the base protocol.
The announcement was made in San Francisco on 26 January 2026 as the project reached a new development milestone.
The new phase allows qualified participants to deploy Everlight nodes and process real transaction flows in a controlled testing environment.
Participants will contribute to network validation ahead of wider ecosystem integrations planned for later in 2026.
The testing phase focuses on measuring system reliability, transaction predictability, and node performance under real-world conditions.
Bitcoin Everlight operates as a lightweight transaction layer that runs alongside Bitcoin rather than replacing or modifying it.
The network is designed to enable faster and lower-friction payments while preserving Bitcoin’s existing security and consensus rules.
Everlight maintains a separation between high-frequency transaction activity and Bitcoin’s settlement layer.
The public onboarding phase follows several months of internal testing and limited technical trials.
The project is now shifting towards broader infrastructure validation rather than user-facing growth.
Independent node operators are being invited to test transaction processing and network stability.
This phase is about proving operational consistency, not scaling visibility.
A Bitcoin Everlight spokesperson said.
By opening node onboarding now, we can validate uptime standards, transaction behaviour, and network coordination before expanding access further.
The spokesperson added.
Participating nodes must meet defined performance benchmarks, including uptime consistency and transaction reliability.
Everlight nodes require fewer resources than full Bitcoin nodes, enabling wider participation without compromising performance standards.
The transaction layer aligns with Bitcoin’s existing architecture and does not alter consensus, scripting, or settlement mechanics.
Transactions processed through Everlight ultimately align with Bitcoin’s base layer for final settlement.
Analysts note that Everlight’s design avoids complex features such as channel management or liquidity balancing.
The system instead prioritises predictable transaction handling and long-term compatibility with Bitcoin’s security assumptions.
Developers and infrastructure operators have shown interest in the approach due to its emphasis on stability over experimentation.
The current onboarding phase targets technically engaged participants such as node operators and developers.
Everlight said this mirrors early Bitcoin adoption patterns focused on understanding system behaviour rather than incentives.
Early Bitcoin adoption was driven by people who wanted to understand how the system behaved under real conditions.
The spokesperson said.
That same mindset is guiding how we’re expanding participation today.
The spokesperson added.
Market observers caution that comparisons to Bitcoin’s early years relate to development stage rather than price expectations.
Everlight’s roadmap prioritises phased testing, monitoring, and gradual integration.
The project plans to release additional testing tools, monitoring dashboards, and developer documentation after this phase.
Feedback from node operators will inform future protocol optimisations and operational guidelines.
Bitcoin Everlight has not set a timeline for unrestricted public access.
Future phases will depend on performance data and network stability metrics gathered during testing.
At the time of reporting, Bitcoin price was $87,906.76.