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What is the difference between Bitcoin mainnet and test networks?

Mainnet is Bitcoin's live network. Test networks let people try software with coins that are not intended to have real value.

Bitcoin Core uses mainnet unless you select another network. Testnet and signet are public test networks with separate chains and coins; regtest is a local testing mode.

Check the network shown by both wallets before sending or searching. A test-network transaction is not a mainnet transaction, and test coins are not mainnet bitcoin.

Check whether the wrong network was usedAll Bitcoin terms

References

  1. Bitcoin Developer Examples, “Testing Applications”.
  2. Bitcoin Improvement Proposals, “BIP-325: Signet”.