Ethereum Mainnet Development: Build on the Most Secure and Trusted Blockchain
Build institutional-grade blockchain applications on Ethereum Mainnet with our specialized rapid prototyping services. Leverage unmatched security, deepest liquidity, and the most battle-tested infrastructure—from high-value DeFi protocols to blue-chip NFT platforms, we deliver production-ready Ethereum applications that institutions trust with billions.
$50B+ Total Value Locked
8+ years of continuous operation without downtime. Over 1 million validators and $100B in staked ETH securing the most trusted blockchain.
Unmatched Composability
Deepest DeFi liquidity with Uniswap, Aave, Maker, Curve. Build on battle-tested primitives proven through multiple market cycles.
Institutional-Grade Security
Proof of Stake with 1M+ validators makes attacks economically impossible. The security standard for protocols managing billions.
Ecosystem Maturity
Largest developer community, most extensive tooling, deepest talent pool. Every major custody, oracle, and auditor focuses on Ethereum first.
Proven Economic Security
Major institutions and trillion-dollar financial systems building on Ethereum. The infrastructure for real economic value.
Maximum Decentralization
1M+ validators across the globe. Regulatory resistance and censorship resistance that centralized L2s cannot match.
Network Effects & Legitimacy
Building on mainnet signals long-term commitment. Access to institutional capital, custody solutions, and regulatory clarity.
Battle-Tested Infrastructure
Premium RPC providers (Alchemy, Infura), tier-1 auditors (Trail of Bits, OpenZeppelin), and proven operational excellence.
Institution-Grade Security
We implement security-first development: comprehensive testing (unit, integration, fuzzing with Echidna), multiple audits from tier-1 firms (Trail of Bits, OpenZeppelin, Consensys Diligence), formal verification for critical components using Certora, and conservative launch strategies with TVL caps.
Every line of code assumes adversarial conditions.
DeFi Composability Expertise
Ethereum's killer feature is composability.
We architect protocols that integrate deeply with existing DeFi: source liquidity from Uniswap/Curve, use Aave for leverage, integrate Chainlink oracles, and compose primitives in novel ways.
We understand how to build on top of $50B in existing infrastructure.
Advanced Gas Optimization
Every opcode matters on mainnet where gas costs range from $5-50+ per transaction.
We implement custom assembly for critical functions, packed storage layouts, minimal state modifications, efficient data structures, and batch operations.
Our optimizations save users millions in gas costs over protocol lifetime.
Governance & DAO Implementation
Ethereum hosts the most sophisticated DAOs managing billions in treasuries.
We implement OpenZeppelin Governor contracts, multi-sig operations with Gnosis Safe, timelock controls, hybrid on-chain/off-chain voting with Snapshot, and operational frameworks proven to manage $100M+ safely.
Institutional Integration
We implement features institutions require: integration with custody solutions (Fireblocks, Anchorage, BitGo), compliance hooks for permissioned pools, detailed on-chain analytics, operational controls, and documentation meeting enterprise standards.
Building bridges between DeFi innovation and institutional capital.
Upgrade Patterns & Long-Term Maintenance
Unlike easily upgradeable L2s, mainnet upgrades require extreme caution.
We implement transparent proxies, UUPS patterns, and diamond standard where appropriate—always with multi-sig governance, timelock delays, and emergency pause mechanisms.
Building for decade-long operational timelines.
Why Ethereum Mainnet? The Gold Standard for Blockchain Security
Ethereum Mainnet remains the most decentralized, most secure, and most trusted blockchain in existence. With over $50 billion in Total Value Locked and 8+ years of continuous operation without network downtime, Ethereum has proven itself as the infrastructure for applications handling real economic value. While Layer 2s offer lower fees, Ethereum Mainnet provides something money can't buy: absolute confidence that your protocol will be secure, decentralized, and operational for decades.
The security guarantees are unmatched. Ethereum's Proof of Stake consensus secures the network through over 1 million validators and $100+ billion in staked ETH—making it economically impossible to attack. This security isn't theoretical—major institutions, nation-states, and trillion-dollar financial systems are building on Ethereum precisely because of this proven security model. For protocols managing billions in assets, Ethereum's security premium over alternatives isn't just worth it—it's required.
What makes Ethereum exceptional is network effects and composability. The deepest DeFi liquidity exists on Ethereum. The most sophisticated financial primitives—Uniswap, Aave, Maker, Curve—are battle-tested on mainnet. Building on Ethereum means instant access to this composability: integrate with proven protocols, tap into massive liquidity pools, and leverage infrastructure that's been stress-tested through multiple market cycles.
- Absolute security: 1M+ validators, $100B+ staked ETH, 8+ years without downtime, economically impossible to attack.
- DeFi composability: Uniswap, Aave, Maker, Curve, Lido—deepest liquidity and battle-tested primitives.
- Institutional trust: Major custody (Fireblocks, Anchorage), auditors (Trail of Bits, OpenZeppelin), regulatory clarity.
- Ecosystem maturity: Largest developer community, most extensive tooling, proven operational excellence.
What We Build on Ethereum Mainnet
Institutional DeFi Protocols (28-42 days, $150-250k)
Lending/borrowing protocols, AMMs, yield aggregators with institutional features. Comprehensive audits (Trail of Bits, OpenZeppelin), formal verification, multi-sig governance, custody integration (Fireblocks, Anchorage), gradual TVL ramps.
DAO Governance & Treasury (14-21 days, $65-100k)
Governor contracts, multi-sig treasury management (Gnosis Safe), timelock controls, on-chain/off-chain voting (Snapshot), token vesting, and delegation. Battle-tested patterns for managing $10M+ treasuries.
Blue-Chip NFT Projects (14-21 days, $50-85k)
ERC-721/1155 collections with provenance, rarity, reveals, allowlists, royalties. OpenSea integration, IPFS/Arweave storage, institutional-grade security for high-value collectibles.
Token Launches & Vesting (10-14 days, $30-50k)
ERC-20 tokens with custom logic, vesting contracts, airdrops, liquidity management. Gas-optimized implementations for cost-effective distribution at scale.
Ethereum Mainnet Development Timeline: Institutional DeFi Protocol
| Week | Focus | Deliverables |
|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Core Protocol Architecture | Architecture design, security model, gas optimization strategy, core smart contracts (lending pool, interest rate models), testing framework, initial security patterns, local deployment |
| Week 2 | Protocol Features & Governance | Collateral management, liquidation mechanics, Chainlink oracle integration, governance token, voting mechanisms, proposal system, treasury management, multi-sig setup, timelock implementation |
| Week 3 | Security & Testing | Comprehensive test suite, edge case coverage, fuzzing with Echidna, gas optimization, contract size optimization, upgradability patterns, internal security review, Slither analysis, audit prep |
| Week 4 | Frontend & Integration | React frontend with wagmi/viem, wallet integration (MetaMask, WalletConnect, Safe), protocol interaction UI, analytics dashboard, governance interface, position management, testnet deployment |
| Week 5-6 | Audit & Launch | Week 5: External security audit from tier-1 firm. Week 6: Audit fixes, final testing, bug bounty program setup, gradual mainnet rollout with TVL caps, monitoring infrastructure |
Frequently Asked Questions
Why build on Ethereum Mainnet when L2s have lower fees?
Ethereum Mainnet provides security, decentralization, and trust that L2s cannot match. With 1M+ validators and $100B+ in staked ETH, mainnet offers economic security essential for high-value protocols. For applications managing $100M+, the security premium justifies higher gas costs. L2s are centralized with small validator sets—fine for low-value transactions, inadequate for institutional capital.
How expensive is it really to use Ethereum Mainnet?
Gas costs range from $5-50+ per transaction depending on network congestion. This makes mainnet unsuitable for frequent microtransactions but perfect for high-value operations: deploying $100M lending pools, executing $10M governance decisions, or minting blue-chip NFTs. The cost per transaction is negligible compared to value secured. We optimize contracts to minimize gas costs where possible.
How long does a mainnet audit take and what does it cost?
Tier-1 audits (Trail of Bits, OpenZeppelin, Consensys Diligence) typically take 3-4 weeks and cost $50-150k depending on codebase complexity. For institutional protocols, we recommend 2-3 audits from different firms plus ongoing bug bounties. This is expensive but essential—a single exploit can cost more than years of audit fees. Audits are the price of legitimacy.
What's the difference between transparent proxies and UUPS?
Both enable contract upgrades. Transparent proxies have upgrade logic in the proxy itself—simpler but higher gas costs. UUPS puts upgrade logic in implementation contracts—more gas-efficient but requires careful implementation. For high-value protocols, we use transparent proxies for critical contracts (safety over gas costs) and UUPS for frequently-used contracts (gas optimization). Always with multi-sig governance and timelocks.
How do you handle MEV on Ethereum Mainnet?
MEV (Maximal Extractable Value) is sophisticated bot activity extracting value from transactions. We implement MEV-resistant patterns: batch operations to reduce arbitrage opportunities, use Flashbots RPC for sensitive transactions (private mempools), design tokenomics accounting for MEV, and implement slippage protections. MEV is a reality on Ethereum—smart protocol design works with it rather than against it.
Should we launch on mainnet or L2 first?
Depends on your use case. Launch on mainnet if: managing $50M+ in value, requiring maximum security/decentralization, targeting institutional capital, or building blue-chip NFTs. Launch on L2 if: targeting retail users, needing frequent transactions, building games/social apps, or testing product-market fit. Many protocols launch high-value components on mainnet while expanding to L2s for user acquisition.
What custody solutions integrate with Ethereum Mainnet?
All major institutional custody providers support Ethereum mainnet: Fireblocks (transaction management and MPC custody), Anchorage Digital (regulated custody), BitGo (multi-sig custody), Copper (prime brokerage), and Coinbase Custody. These integrations enable institutions to use DeFi protocols while maintaining custody standards. We implement contract patterns compatible with these custody solutions.
How do you optimize gas costs on mainnet?
We use multiple optimization techniques: packed storage (combine multiple variables into single slots), custom assembly for critical functions, minimal state modifications (prefer memory over storage), efficient data structures (mappings over arrays), batch operations, and caching read values. We also optimize calldata (use bytes over strings), implement view functions for reads, and design contracts to minimize cross-contract calls. Gas optimization is an art and science.