TestNet and MainNet
Algorand has a main network, MainNet, where ALGO have real value, and a public test network, TestNet, where ALGO are free. ARIADNE is deployed separately on each one. Today ARIADNE runs on TestNet; MainNet opens later, after an independent audit of the contract.
Two networks that never mix
Section titled “Two networks that never mix”The same contract code is deployed once per network, and each deployment is an independent ARIADNE: a different application, different articles, different reputation.
| TestNet | MainNet | |
|---|---|---|
| ALGO | free, from the TestNet dispenser | real, with market value |
| ARIADNE | open now | opens after an independent audit of the contract |
| What it is for | trying everything; it works exactly as MainNet will | the lasting scientific record |
| Articles and reputation | for testing; they carry no value on MainNet | the real record |
Some consequences:
- Reputation does not travel. Reputation earned on TestNet counts only on TestNet. On MainNet everyone starts from zero.
- Citations stay inside a network. An article counts as citing another ARIADNE article when it links to that article’s page on the same network.
- The same content can be published on both. IPFS content belongs to no network, so you can publish the same folder (the same CID) on TestNet and on MainNet. That produces two independent articles.
TestNet today
Section titled “TestNet today”Every page of the app on TestNet carries a banner: “TestNet: articles here are for testing and carry no reputation on MainNet.” Everything works exactly as it will on MainNet: publishing, reviews, votes, the seal, ORCID iDs, DOIs and follows.
Addresses on TestNet
Section titled “Addresses on TestNet”| What | Address |
|---|---|
| Web app | https://ariadne.press/testnet |
| Indexer API | https://api.ariadne.press/testnet |
| IPFS gateway | https://ipfs.ariadne.press |
| ARIADNE application id | 772983107 |
| Blockchain explorer (Lora) | https://lora.algokit.io/testnet |
| Free TestNet ALGO | https://bank.testnet.algorand.network |
| Zenodo, for DOIs | the Zenodo sandbox, https://sandbox.zenodo.org |
On TestNet, DOIs come from the Zenodo sandbox: they start with 10.5072/ and may be deleted at any time. NFD names are
looked up in the TestNet NFD service, so names never cross networks. The complete list of addresses, including the
Algorand node and the governance account, is in Networks and addresses.
The TestNet restart of 1 October 2026
Section titled “The TestNet restart of 1 October 2026”A contract on Algorand cannot be changed, so a new version of the contract means a new application. TestNet restarted on 1 October 2026 with the contract that adds ORCID iDs, DOIs and follows; this application is also the candidate for MainNet.
- What was published on the previous TestNet application (772965337) stays on the blockchain, and its content stays pinned on ARIADNE’s IPFS node, but it is no longer listed in the app.
- You can publish the same content again on the new application.
- Article numbers belong to an application. A link shared before the restart, such as
/testnet/a/3, now opens article 3 of the new application, which is a different article. - Reputation, votes and reviews from the previous application do not carry over.
MainNet: later
Section titled “MainNet: later”MainNet opens after an independent audit of the contract; donations help pay for that review. Until then:
- the network selector of the app offers only TestNet;
- a MainNet address of the app shows a page saying that MainNet is not enabled yet, with a link to TestNet;
- nothing on TestNet will move to MainNet. When MainNet opens, publish your work there; you may reuse the same files.
When MainNet opens, its pages will have no network prefix (https://ariadne.press/a/123), while TestNet keeps
/testnet/. DOIs will come from Zenodo itself, and MainNet will have its own governance account, never shared with
TestNet. These docs will be updated with the MainNet addresses then.
How the app keeps networks apart
Section titled “How the app keeps networks apart”- The network is part of every link.
/testnet/a/12is article 12 on TestNet; a link is never ambiguous. - A selector shows the current network (the “Network” control in the sidebar, or the top bar on phones), listing only the networks that are open. Switching opens the same page on the other network when it exists there.
- Only one network’s data is shown at a time. Feeds, profiles, notifications and search never mix networks; a profile on TestNet shows only TestNet activity and reputation.
- The wallet is connected for that network only, and every transaction carries the network’s identity (its genesis hash), so a transaction prepared for one network is rejected on the other.
- The app checks the Algorand node. If the node does not report the expected network, signing is disabled and a banner says so.
- Costs name the network. The cost box shows “total on TestNet”, and the publish form’s last step is “Sign on testnet”.
LocalNet, for developers
Section titled “LocalNet, for developers”LocalNet is a private Algorand network that runs on a developer’s computer, used to develop and test ARIADNE. It is served only by development builds, never by ariadne.press, and it offers developer wallets instead of Pera, Defly and Lute. See Host the full stack and Networks and addresses.
- Wallets and your address: get a wallet and free TestNet ALGO.
- Your first article, step by step: publish on TestNet.