Testnet and Mainnet: Understanding the difference

The mainnet is the main network while the Testnet is the test network. These are terms that are widely used in the blockchain ecosystem.

The mainnet will execute all real transactions within the network and record them on the blockchain for public use.

Conversely, the testnet is an alternative environment created for and by developers. As the name suggests, it's about testing updates or fixes without having to do it on the mainnet. This is then preserved and functional.

It is important to understand the difference between Testent and Mainnet if you want to navigate this world with ease.

What is Mainnet and what is it for?

Transactions are executed on the Mainnet and are stored on the blockchain. Thus, public blockchains like Bitcoin are open source. Anyone can then verify authentic transactions on the blockchain.

When a project is operational, then it has a mainnet and therefore has a main network.

Before launching a mainnet, developers must nevertheless ensure that it is functional. It can take a lot of time and effort before a mainnet is made available.

When a mainnet is launched, most blockchains make the underlying source code public. This is also how we can create (for example) decentralized applications (dApps) adapted.

This is typically the case with the Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM) mainnet.

What are the most famous blockchain mainnets?

We can cite :

• Le Ethereum mainnet
• Binance Mainnet
• Main polygon network
• Celo Main Network
• Solana's mainnet

What is a Testnet?

A testnet is a test network that is used to test projects before they are released. This makes it easier for programmers and blockchain developers.

This allows us to carry out operability tests without hindering the main network. For example, for Ethereum's The Merge update, developers are using Ethereum's Tesnet network. During this time, users can continue to use the Ethereum network without problems.

—> Read the article on The Ethereum Merge

Want to learn more about blockchain? Read our articles in the section “Education" here.