sui-client-faucet

Get a SUI coin from the faucet associated with the active network

$ sui client faucet

$ sui client faucet --address [address]

$ sui client faucet --url [custom-faucet-url]

sui-client faucet [OPTIONS]

--address <ADDRESS>
    Specifies the recipient Sui address for the faucet tokens. If omitted, tokens are sent to the currently active address in the client configuration.

--amount <AMOUNT>
    Sets the desired amount of SUI tokens to request from the faucet. Note that faucets typically have a maximum limit per request.

--url <URL>
    Provides the URL of the faucet service to use. This is often pre-configured for standard networks like devnet or testnet.

The sui-client faucet command is a crucial utility for developers and users interacting with Sui blockchain testnets or devnets. Its primary function is to request free test SUI tokens from a designated faucet service. In blockchain development, test tokens are essential for experimenting with smart contracts, deploying applications, and testing transaction flows without incurring real financial costs or using valuable mainnet assets.

This command simplifies the process of acquiring these test tokens, enabling rapid prototyping and debugging. Users typically specify the recipient address, and the faucet service then sends a predefined amount of SUI to that address. It is important to note that these tokens have no real-world monetary value and are solely for development and testing purposes on non-mainnet environments. The sui-client interacts with the configured network (e.g., devnet, testnet) to access its respective faucet.

The tokens received from the Sui faucet are solely for use on testnet or devnet environments and hold no real-world monetary value. Faucet services typically enforce rate limits and maximum request amounts to ensure fair distribution and prevent abuse. Users should be aware that the availability and functionality of the faucet depend on the network's status and the faucet service's operational health.

The sui-client relies on its active network configuration (e.g., devnet, testnet) to determine which faucet service to connect to. Users can switch networks using other sui-client commands (e.g., sui client switch --env <ENVIRONMENT>), which in turn directs the faucet command to the correct endpoint.

The faucet command is predominantly used by developers for:
deploying and testing smart contracts, which require gas fees and initial funds;
testing dApp functionalities, simulating real user interactions involving token transfers; and
experimenting with new Sui features without risking real assets.

The sui-client faucet command emerged as an essential component of the Sui blockchain's development toolkit during its early devnet and testnet phases. Introduced to empower developers and users with easy access to test SUI tokens, it played a critical role in fostering rapid application development, testing, and ecosystem growth before the Sui mainnet launch. Its integration ensured that developers could freely experiment with smart contracts and transactions without financial barriers, accelerating the iteration cycles and robust testing necessary for a new blockchain platform.