Devnet (Development Network)

Devnet, short for development network, is a testing environment designed for developers to build, test, and refine their blockchain applications (smart contracts, decentralized apps) without the risk of losing real assets. It mimics the conditions of the real network (Mainnet) but uses test tokens instead of real cryptocurrencies.

Purpose

• Allows developers to test their code and smart contracts.
• Provides a risk-free environment to experiment with transactions.
• Avoids financial losses since the tokens used in Devnet have no real-world value.

Features

• Developers can receive free test tokens from faucets.
• Network conditions (speed, consensus mechanisms) are similar to the Mainnet.
• Frequent changes and updates are made to optimize or debug smart contracts.

Example

• On the Ethereum Devnet, developers use ETH tokens that are free and do not hold any value outside of this network.
• Solana’s Devnet offers SOL test tokens that allow developers to create and test smart contracts or applications.