3. Mainnet Launch

Launching your Art Blocks project on Ethereum mainnet — import, publish, and open minting.

Once your testnet project has been approved by the Art Blocks team, you're ready to create your mainnet project and go live. This page covers the steps from mainnet deployment through opening minting to the public.

Prerequisites

Your testnet project has been reviewed and approved by Art Blocks
You have your artist wallet ready with some ETH for gas
You have the mainnet Creator Dashboard access

Step 1: Create Your Mainnet Project Shell

Connect your artist wallet to create.artblocks.io
Switch to Ethereum Mainnet (or Arbitrum/Base if specified by your agreement)
Click Create New Project

Your mainnet project shell is now created with a project ID.

Step 2: Import from Testnet

Rather than re-entering all your configuration, the Creator Dashboard supports importing from your testnet project. In your mainnet project, use the Import from Testnet feature:

Details — Import project name, description, license, website, edition size
Scripts — Import your script file and dependency configuration
Renders — Import aspect ratio, render delay, Canvas Mode settings
Payments — Import payment splits (a new royalty splitter will be deployed on mainnet)
Minters — Import minter configuration (auction parameters, etc.)

Do not import the Admin settings from testnet. Admin settings contain testnet-specific configuration that should not be applied to mainnet.

After importing each section, verify the values are correct before saving.

Step 3: Verify and Preview

Before minting token #0:

All Details fields are correct (project name, description, edition size)
Script is uploaded and the correct version is selected
Renders settings match your testnet configuration
Payment splits are configured correctly — verify the splitter address in the dashboard
Minter is configured (for fixed price) or will open automatically (for auction minters)
Click Preview on the Scripts page to view a test render on mainnet

Step 4: Mint Token #0

Token #0 is traditionally the artist's token — the first mint of a project.

In the Outputs tab, click Mint Token #0
Confirm the transaction in your wallet
Wait for the transaction to confirm

After minting, your token will appear on artblocks.io once it's indexed (typically within a few minutes).

Art Blocks will then activate your project, making it visible to the public on artblocks.io. You'll be notified when activation is complete.

Step 5: Open Minting

Once your project is activated, you control when minting opens to the public.

Fixed Price Minters

For Set Price minters: the project opens when you unpause it in the Creator Dashboard.

State transitions:

inactive + paused — private shell, no purchases possible (default)
active + paused — publicly visible, but only the artist wallet can mint
active + unpaused — open to the public

Unpause in the Creator Dashboard when you're ready to go live. Gas recommendations: mint during off-peak hours (weekends, late evenings US time) to avoid high gas prices that can reduce collector participation.

Auction Minters

Dutch Auction and RAM minters open automatically at the configured start time. No manual unpause required — set your start time and the auction opens itself.

Step 6: Communicate Your Launch

Let collectors know when minting opens. See the Community guide for Art Blocks' communication guidelines around project announcements.

Key timing guidelines:

Do not publicly announce specific launch details (price, date, time) until Art Blocks gives the green light
Coordinate with your Art Blocks account manager on announcement timing
Art Blocks will promote your project via official channels on launch day

After Launch

Royalty Withdrawals

Secondary royalties accumulate in your 0xSplits splitter contract. To withdraw:

Visit app.splits.org
Connect your wallet
Find your splitter contract (address shown in the Creator Dashboard)
Click Distribute to trigger a distribution to all payees

You can distribute at any time — there's no requirement to wait for the project to sell out.

Animated Thumbnails

After launch, you can add animated thumbnails (MP4) to your project. Contact Art Blocks in #artist-tech if you'd like to add or update your animation settings.

Returning for Future Projects

Once your first project is complete, you're welcome to apply for future projects. Many Studio artists release multiple projects over time. The same Creator Dashboard account and artist wallet can be used for subsequent projects.

Feedback and Support

Technical issues: #artist-tech on Discord
General questions: #artist-general on Discord
Email: apply@artblocks.io