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Connecting to NEAR

NEAR Protocol operates on several networks each operating with their own independent validators and unique state. These networks are as follows:

mainnet

mainnet is for production ready smart contracts and live token transfers. Contracts ready for mainnet should have gone through rigorous testing and independent security reviews if necessary. mainnet is the only network where state is guaranteed to persist over time (subject to the typical security guarantees of the network's validation process).

Note: near-cli network selection flag is production.

testnet

testnet is intended for testing all aspects of the NEAR platform prior to mainnet deployment. From account creation, mock token transfers, development tooling, and smart contract development, the testnet environment should closely represent mainnet behavior. We make every attempt to maintain the integrity of network state across updates but this is still a volatile network that receives heavy testing. Therefore, we recommended all user-facing applications are deployed to mainnet to ensure persistent state.

Note: near-cli network selection flag is development or testnet. (This network is selected by default with near-cli and may not need additional configuration)

betanet

betanet usually has daily releases with protocol features that are not yet stabilized. State is maintained as much as possible but no guarantees with its high volatility.

near-cli network selection variable is betanet

localnet

LocalNet is intended for developers who want to work with the NEAR platform independent of the public blockchain. You will need to generate nodes yourself.

More on local development here

near-cli network selection variable is local

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Last updated on 1/21/2021 by Josh Ford
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