Understanding Mainnet: From Testing Phase to Live Deployment

When a blockchain project goes live on mainnet, it marks a crucial milestone where the entire network becomes fully operational. At this stage, all cryptocurrency transactions get transmitted across the distributed ledger, verified by network participants, and permanently recorded. This is fundamentally different from earlier development stages when the protocol exists only as a working prototype.

The Mainnet vs. Testnet Distinction

Before any blockchain launches its mainnet, developers operate within a testnet environment—essentially a sandbox where teams can experiment, identify vulnerabilities, and refine features without real financial consequences. A testnet allows programmers to stress-test every aspect of the network architecture, catch bugs before they become costly, and ensure the system reaches production-grade security standards.

Once the testnet phase proves successful and all critical issues are resolved, the team proceeds to deploy the mainnet version, transforming the prototype into a fully functional blockchain where real transactions occur and value transfers become permanent.

The Pre-Mainnet Funding Strategy

Most blockchain projects follow a similar path before launching their mainnet. Teams typically initiate fundraising events—either through an Initial Coin Offering (ICO), Initial Exchange Offering (IEO), or similar mechanisms—to secure capital for development. During the ICO era around 2017, many projects took a pragmatic approach: they issued tokens on existing networks (particularly ERC-20 tokens on Ethereum) rather than building their infrastructure from scratch.

These Ethereum-based tokens served as investment vehicles during the fundraising phase. Investors purchased them according to their contribution level, and the collected capital funded the actual blockchain development and testnet operations.

The Mainnet Swap Process

When the blockchain reaches completion and mainnet launches, a transformative event occurs: the mainnet swap. At this point, the original ERC-20 tokens are converted into native coins that operate on the new blockchain. This transition moves value from one ledger system to another—investors exchange their temporary tokens for the permanent, native cryptocurrency.

Following the mainnet swap, teams typically burn any remaining ERC-20 tokens to eliminate duplicates and ensure only the new blockchain’s native coins remain in circulation.

Beyond Ethereum: A Diverse Ecosystem

While Ethereum’s ERC-20 standard became dominant during the ICO boom, numerous blockchain platforms have developed their own tokenization capabilities. Networks like Stellar, NEM, NEO, TRON, and Waves each provide alternative frameworks for token issuance and ecosystem development, demonstrating that the mainnet launch model extends well beyond a single blockchain.

Today, successful mainnet deployment remains the pivotal moment when a blockchain project transitions from development phase to serving real users with actual transaction capabilities.