The Kovan testnet (sometimes misspelled “Koven”) was an Ethereum test network that used a proof-of-authority consensus model and was primarily supported by the OpenEthereum (Parity) client. It allowed developers to test smart contracts and dApps with free test ETH instead of real funds on Mainnet.
Kovan has since been deprecated in favor of newer testnets such as Goerli and Sepolia, but it remains part of the historical evolution of Ethereum’s testing infrastructure.
