Before you set up your workspace, you must choose the type of workspace (or workspaces) you want to use for your organization. Fireblocks offers three workspace types: Mainnet, Testnet, and Sandbox. Workspace environments are strictly isolated; assets that belong to one environment cannot be used in another, even when the asset symbol appears identical. For example, a Mainnet asset like ETH cannot be used in a Testnet or Sandbox workspace.
Mainnet workspace
Mainnets are blockchain networks that are fully developed and deployed, with cryptocurrency transactions being broadcasted, verified, and recorded. Mainnets have a base asset that can be used as funds for transactions or to pay network fees. All assets on Mainnets have real-world monetary value.
A Mainnet workspace is an environment that allows you to conduct your real-world financial operations on the Fireblocks platform. In a Mainnet workspace, you can transfer digital assets securely, add users, create vault accounts, whitelist addresses, connect to supported exchanges, connect to Fireblocks P2P Network members, configure signing devices, and establish network connections.
Testnet workspace
Testnets are blockchain test networks typically used by developers to experiment with the blockchain. Testnets operate on blockchains separate from their associated Mainnets. Testnet assets have no monetary value, and many of them reset periodically.
A Testnet workspace is an isolated environment for integration and testing using Testnet assets. In a Testnet workspace, you can perform many of the same actions you can in a Mainnet workspace. The primary difference is that you can transfer Testnet assets without incurring real-world fees.
In the Fireblocks Console, a Testnet Environment badge appears at the top of every page to help you identify a Testnet workspace.
Learn more about the differences between Testnet and Mainnet workspaces.
Sandbox workspace
Sandbox workspaces are freely available to sign up for and are geared toward quick development and experimentation. Sandbox environments offer the following highlights:
- When you create API users, Fireblocks automatically generates the Certificate Signing Request (CSR) certificate in the browser.
- You can use the API Monitoring feature in the Developer center to view the workspace's API calls and errors over 24-hour and 7-day periods.
- Mobile signing devices are not required. Because Fireblocks auto-approves all transactions, this reduces the complexity of trying out the Fireblocks API.
Sandbox user roles
When you create Console or API users in a Sandbox workspace, only three workspace roles are available:
- Non-Signing Admin
- Editor
- Viewer
In Sandbox workspaces, a backend service takes the Owner role to manage auto-approvals and simplify experimentation. The Non-Signing Admin role has the highest level of permissions, including some that the Owner role holds in Mainnet and Testnet workspaces:
- Creating and deleting users
- Resetting 2FA for workspace users
- Signing transactions, despite the "non-signing" name
Learn more about user roles in Mainnet and Testnet workspaces.
Moving from a Testnet to a Mainnet workspace
When you are ready to use your Mainnet workspace, there are a few things to keep in mind before you get started.
- Other than the users you add to both, your Mainnet and Testnet workspaces are completely separate. Your Mainnet workspace requires its own vault accounts and asset wallets, exchange and fiat account connections, Policies, users, and more.
- You must define the Mainnet workspace's Policy rules to work with the Mainnet workspace's various users, user groups, sources, destinations, and assets. These parameters are likely different from what you used in your Testnet workspace.
- You must configure your Mainnet workspace to work with any API integrations and third-party accounts you want to carry over from your Testnet workspace. This includes creating a new API key for and provisioning your API Co-signer. You can add Fireblocks Console users, adjust the Admin Quorum, and connect to exchange accounts, fiat accounts, and Fireblocks P2P Network members before or after you configure your API integrations.
- Derivation paths differ between Sandbox/Testnet and Mainnet workspaces, which affects how Mainnet wallet addresses derive from your workspace's extended private key. See Path differences between Sandbox/Testnet and Mainnet workspaces for details.
Supported Mainnet and Testnet assets
Visit the Supported Blockchain Networks page to learn more about supported Mainnet and Testnet assets.