Mainnet

Mainnet is the primary Bitcoin blockchain where real BTC are transferred and hold actual value. Unlike Bitcoin's testnet, signet, or regtest networks—which exist for development and experimentation—mainnet is where all genuine, economic transactions take place. When someone mentions the Bitcoin network, they almost always mean the mainnet.

Every network (mainnet, testnet, signet, regtest) operates a separate blockchain and issues its own type of coins, which are not interchangeable. Wallet addresses differ by network; mainnet addresses typically start with ‘1’, ‘3’, or ‘bc1’, while testnet addresses may begin with ‘m’, ‘n’, ‘2’, or ‘tb1’. It's important to never send coins across different networks; for example, sending mainnet bitcoin to a testnet address will result in permanent loss of those coins.