What Is Mainnet?
Also known as: Main Network, Production Network
In short
Mainnet is the live, publicly accessible and fully functional network of a blockchain project on which transactions carrying real value take place; unlike testnets, tokens on it have real economic value.
When a blockchain is being developed, code is first tried in local environments and then on public test networks, called testnets, that run with tokens that have no value. After bugs are fixed and security audits are completed, the network goes live with the production of the first block, the genesis block. This transition is usually announced as a “mainnet launch” and is considered an important stage in a project's roadmap.
Some projects issue their tokens on another network, for example as ERC-20 on Ethereum, before their own network is ready. When their own network goes live, these tokens are exchanged for native coins; this process is called a mainnet swap, and exchanges often carry out the process on behalf of users.
Moving to mainnet does not mean a project is secure or successful. Bugs that appear on a live network can lead to real fund losses; for this reason, many networks keep some features limited in the first stage or open them gradually. Developers also run extensive tests on testnet before deploying their smart contracts to mainnet.
Last updated: · This content is for information purposes only and is not investment advice.