mainets
Mainets, often written mainnets, are the primary live blockchain networks where a project's native cryptocurrency and smart contracts operate. They host real-value transactions and are secured by the protocol’s consensus mechanism. Mainnets are distinct from test networks (testnets) and development networks (devnets), which are used for experimentation and do not involve real assets. In common usage, mainet refers to the mainnet of a given chain, though some writers treat it as a misspelling of mainnet.
Examples include Bitcoin’s mainnet and Ethereum’s mainnet. Each mainnet has its own token, rules for transaction
Upgrades to mainnets are coordinated through forks or protocol upgrades. Hard forks introduce incompatible changes, while