diff --git a/rs/rosetta-api/icrc1/rosetta/BUILD.bazel b/rs/rosetta-api/icrc1/rosetta/BUILD.bazel
index 0ddea8ae56a..3323756adb8 100644
--- a/rs/rosetta-api/icrc1/rosetta/BUILD.bazel
+++ b/rs/rosetta-api/icrc1/rosetta/BUILD.bazel
@@ -23,6 +23,8 @@ DEPENDENCIES = [
     "@crate_index//:hex",
     "@crate_index//:serde_cbor",
     "@crate_index//:rand_0_8_4",
+    "@crate_index//:lazy_static",
+    "@crate_index//:url",
     "//packages/icrc-ledger-types:icrc_ledger_types",
     "//packages/icrc-ledger-agent:icrc_ledger_agent",
     "//rs/rosetta-api/icrc1/ledger",
@@ -45,8 +47,6 @@ DEV_DEPENDENCIES = [
     "@crate_index//:ring",
     "@crate_index//:once_cell",
     "@crate_index//:reqwest",
-    "@crate_index//:url",
-    "@crate_index//:lazy_static",
 ]
 
 MACRO_DEPENDENCIES = [
diff --git a/rs/rosetta-api/icrc1/rosetta/Cargo.toml b/rs/rosetta-api/icrc1/rosetta/Cargo.toml
index 396f375ccc8..e8a40d32232 100644
--- a/rs/rosetta-api/icrc1/rosetta/Cargo.toml
+++ b/rs/rosetta-api/icrc1/rosetta/Cargo.toml
@@ -33,17 +33,17 @@ ic-icrc1 = { path = ".." }
 proptest = "1.0"
 rand = "0.8.4"
 axum = "0.6.1"
+url = "2.2.1"
 clap = { version = "4.0.29", features = ["derive"] }
 tokio = { version = "1.15.0", features = ["full"] }
 ic-agent = "=0.22.0"
 icrc-ledger-agent = { path = "../../../../packages/icrc-ledger-agent" }
 hex = "0.4.2"
 ic-crypto-tree-hash = { path = "../../../crypto/tree_hash" }
-
+lazy_static = "1.4.0"
 
 [lib]
 path = "src/lib.rs"
-proptest = "1.0"
 
 [dev-dependencies]
 ic-icrc1-ledger-sm-tests = { path = "../ledger/sm-tests" }
diff --git a/rs/rosetta-api/icrc1/rosetta/src/main.rs b/rs/rosetta-api/icrc1/rosetta/src/main.rs
index 53873d41bcf..3c15deddcb8 100644
--- a/rs/rosetta-api/icrc1/rosetta/src/main.rs
+++ b/rs/rosetta-api/icrc1/rosetta/src/main.rs
@@ -5,19 +5,36 @@ use axum::{
 };
 use clap::{Parser, ValueEnum};
 use endpoints::{health, network_list, network_options};
+use ic_agent::{
+    agent::http_transport::ReqwestHttpReplicaV2Transport, identity::AnonymousIdentity, Agent,
+};
 use ic_base_types::CanisterId;
 use ic_icrc_rosetta::{common::storage::storage_client::StorageClient, AppState};
+use icrc_ledger_agent::Icrc1Agent;
+use lazy_static::lazy_static;
+use log::debug;
 use std::path::PathBuf;
 use std::{net::TcpListener, sync::Arc};
-
+use url::Url;
 mod endpoints;
 
+lazy_static! {
+    static ref MAINNET_DEFAULT_URL: &'static str = "https://ic0.app";
+    static ref TESTNET_DEFAULT_URL: &'static str = "https://exchanges.testnet.dfinity.network";
+}
+
 #[derive(Clone, Debug, ValueEnum)]
 enum StoreType {
     InMemory,
     File,
 }
 
+#[derive(Clone, Debug, ValueEnum)]
+enum NetworkType {
+    Mainnet,
+    Testnet,
+}
+
 #[derive(Parser, Debug)]
 #[command(author, version, about, long_about = None)]
 struct Args {
@@ -41,6 +58,16 @@ struct Args {
     /// The file to use for the store if [store_type] is file.
     #[arg(short = 'f', long, default_value = "db.sqlite")]
     store_file: PathBuf,
+
+    /// The network type that rosetta connects to.
+    #[arg(short = 'n', long, value_enum)]
+    network_type: NetworkType,
+
+    /// URL of the IC to connect to.
+    /// Default Mainnet URL is: https://ic0.app,
+    /// Default Testnet URL is: https://exchanges.testnet.dfinity.network
+    #[arg(long, short = 'u')]
+    network_url: Option<String>,
 }
 
 impl Args {
@@ -52,6 +79,22 @@ impl Args {
             (Some(port), _) => *port,
         }
     }
+    fn is_mainnet(&self) -> bool {
+        match self.network_type {
+            NetworkType::Mainnet => true,
+            NetworkType::Testnet => false,
+        }
+    }
+
+    fn effective_network_url(&self) -> String {
+        self.network_url.clone().unwrap_or_else(|| {
+            if self.is_mainnet() {
+                (*MAINNET_DEFAULT_URL).to_string()
+            } else {
+                (*TESTNET_DEFAULT_URL).to_string()
+            }
+        })
+    }
 }
 
 #[tokio::main]
@@ -68,6 +111,34 @@ async fn main() -> Result<()> {
         _storage: storage,
     });
 
+    let network_url = args.effective_network_url();
+
+    let ic_agent = Agent::builder()
+        .with_identity(AnonymousIdentity)
+        .with_transport(ReqwestHttpReplicaV2Transport::create(
+            Url::parse(&network_url)
+                .context(format!("Failed to parse URL {}", network_url.clone()))?,
+        )?)
+        .build()?;
+
+    // Only fetch root key if the network is not the mainnet
+    if !args.is_mainnet() {
+        debug!("Network type is not mainnet --> Trying to fetch root key");
+        ic_agent.fetch_root_key().await?;
+    }
+
+    debug!("Rosetta connects to : {}", network_url);
+
+    debug!(
+        "Network status is : {:?}",
+        ic_agent.status().await?.replica_health_status
+    );
+
+    let _icrc1_agent = Icrc1Agent {
+        agent: ic_agent,
+        ledger_canister_id: args.ledger_id.into(),
+    };
+
     let app = Router::new()
         .route("/health", get(health))
         .route("/network/list", post(network_list))