What is Avalanche (AVAX)
Avalanche is a protocol for decentralised finance born in 2020, often compared to Ethereum for its completeness. It is one of the most used Layer 1s and aims to solve the scalability and transaction-cost problems that arise when a network is heavily used. AVAX is the native crypto-asset, also used to pay network fees.
The platform allows the creation of smart contracts, tokens, NFTs and even internal blockchains, the so-called subnets: subnetworks that each decentralised application can configure to its own needs, relying on the security of the main network.
Subnets and institutional adoption
Subnets are Avalanche’s most distinctive feature. Since 2024 they have also been used in the institutional sphere with “institutional subnets”, private networks created by large companies for the tokenisation and exchange of real-world assets: cited experiments include collaborations with entities such as JPMorgan and a partnership with Amazon Web Services (AWS).
More recently the ecosystem has expanded into areas such as DePIN (decentralised physical infrastructure), gaming and the metaverse, with new projects choosing subnets as their base infrastructure.
How it began
Behind the project is Emin Gun Sirer, a Cornell University professor and cryptography expert, who launched Avalanche in 2020 through the company Ava Labs. Over the years Ava Labs has raised funds from institutional investors to support the development of a modular infrastructure compatible with Ethereum thanks to the implementation of the EVM.
On the economic side, the mechanism provides for part of the fees to be “burned”, reducing the token’s supply over time. This is a feature of the protocol, not a guarantee on value.
Price trends and what to consider
Like all crypto-assets, AVAX has shown a highly volatile price trend and is a relatively young crypto-asset. Its quotations can be influenced by the general trend of the crypto market, by the growth of the subnet and application ecosystem and by investor sentiment.
Past performance is not a guarantee of future results.
Avalanche Market Data
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