What is Avalanche (AVAX)?
- Native Blockchain:
- Avalanche operates on its own native blockchain platform, designed to be highly scalable and customizable. It utilizes a unique architecture with multiple chains and supports custom virtual machines.
- Consensus Protocol:
- Avalanche employs the Avalanche consensus protocol, which is a novel PoS mechanism. This consensus method is touted to combine the benefits of the classical consensus and Nakamoto consensus models, promising speed without compromising decentralization and security.
- Trilemma (Security, Speed, Scalability):
- Security: The Avalanche consensus protocol offers robust security assurances against attackers, even when a significant portion of the network is malicious.
- Speed: Avalanche claims to finalize transactions in about a second or less.
- Scalability: One of the hallmark features of Avalanche is its high throughput, capable of processing over 4,500 transactions per second (tps).
- Founder / Date Founded:
- Avalanche was founded by Emin Gün Sirer, a prominent figure in the crypto and blockchain space. The platform was developed by Ava Labs and officially launched in September 2020.
- Objective / Use Case:
- Avalanche aims to offer a platform for new financial primitives, bridging traditional and decentralized finance. It's designed to be a hub for DeFi projects and custom blockchain networks, and it promises a high degree of customizability and interchain operability.
- Total supply / Limit or Unlimited:
- Avalanche (AVAX) has a capped supply of 720 million tokens. These tokens are used for staking, fees, and to secure the network.
- Supply Deflation:
- AVAX employs a burning mechanism wherein a portion of the fees from certain operations (like creating subnets or blockchains) is burned, effectively reducing the total circulating supply over time.
This summary should equip beginners with a foundational understanding of Avalanche and its distinguishing features in the cryptocurrency world. Given the fast-paced and evolving nature of the crypto sector, it's crucial to stay current with developments and updates.
References:
- Avalanche. (n.d.). Platform Overview. [https://www.avalabs.org/]
- Team Rocket. (2018). Avalanche: A New Family of Consensus Protocols. [https://avalabs.org/whitepapers]
- Avalanche. (n.d.). How Avalanche is Redefining DeFi. [https://www.avalabs.org/defi]
- Ava Labs. (2020). Avalanche Mainnet Officially Launches. [https://medium.com/avalancheavax/avalanche-mainnet-officially-launches-d9e44ca5a9f6]
- Avalanche. (n.d.). Applications on Avalanche. [https://www.avalabs.org/apply]
- Avalanche. (n.d.). Token Information & Distribution. [https://docs.avax.network/learn/platform-overview/avax-token]
- Avalanche. (n.d.). AVAX Token Dynamics. [https://docs.avax.network/learn/platform-overview/avax-token]