What is Avalanche (AVAX)?

Avalanche is a layer-1 blockchain network that stands out with its fast and scalable structure. Developed by the Ava Labs team, the platform launched its mainnet in September 2020. One of the things that makes Avalanche special is its unique Avalanche Consensus Algorithm. This algorithm combines the best of both classical and Nakamoto-style consensus methods, allowing transactions to be finalized in a fraction of a second.

Avalanche's main goal is to provide a powerful infrastructure for decentralized applications such as DeFi, NFT and gaming, as well as private blockchains (subnets) where anyone can run their own rules. Thanks to the subnet support it offers to developers, each project can freely design a network according to its needs. To summarize the question of "What is Avalanche coin?" - It is a blockchain innovation that offers speed, flexibility, and developer-specific solutions.

In addition to speed and scalability, Avalanche also stands out with its low transaction fees and green approach. Avalanche network, which does not require high energy consumption, has become an attractive option for both individual users and corporate projects with its user-friendly structure.

If you are ready, let's explore Avalanche together!

Definition and Origin of Avalanche: What is AVAX?

What is Avalanche and AVAX? Avalanche is a high-speed and scalable layer-1 blockchain platform. Launched in 2020 by Ava Labs, Avalanche bases its infrastructure on a unique consensus mechanism called “Avalanche Consensus”. This consensus model quickly finalizes transactions by randomly sampling votes from hundreds or even thousands of validators. As a result, Avalanche is able to offer transactions finalized in seconds and a capacity of thousands of transactions per second (TPS). The network's native token, AVAX, plays a critical role in both paying transaction fees and securing the network.

Avalanche's design also features a multi-chain architecture that serves different needs. Thanks to this structure, it can run smart contracts on the Ethereum-compatible C-Chain, while the X-Chain is used for asset transfers and the P-Chain is used for validator management and Subnet infrastructure. In this way, Avalanche can work both as an Ethereum-compatible chain and allow users to build their own independent networks. In particular, the Avalanche subnet structure allows different projects to create their own private blockchains, making Avalanche one step ahead of other networks.

We can examine this powerful infrastructure of Avalanche in more detail as follows:

• Avalanche: A high-speed, scalable Layer-1 blockchain with transactions finalized in seconds and a capacity of thousands of TPS.
• Launch: The Avalanche platform was developed by Ava Labs and launched in 2020. After a successful public sale, the Avalanche mainnet went live on September 20, 2020.
• Consensus algorithm: Avalanche works with the self-developed Avalanche Consensus. This model combines the best aspects of classical and Nakamoto-style consensus; validators vote for each other in small randomized groups, ensuring fast, secure finality.
• AVAX token: AVAX can be used as a means of payment for all transactions on the Avalanche network, as well as for staking transactions that support the security of the network. As of 2025, the AVAX coin price fluctuates depending on general market movements. However, AVAX is one of the most traded assets in the crypto market - ranking 13th by market capitalization. While the Avax coin price is 85 percent below the record $146 it hit 3 years ago, it is 680 percent above the all-time high of $2.79 in 2020. As of April 2025, it is trading at $21.

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• Objective: Avalanche's main goal is to provide developers and projects with fast, low-cost, customizable blockchain solutions for decentralized applications (DeFi, NFT, gaming, etc.) and enterprise systems. In particular, thanks to the Subnet structure, users can create private blockchains by setting their own rules. In short, the Avalanche infrastructure offers technical flexibility to developers and enables users to perform fast, reliable and low-cost transactions. This puts it in a different position among Layer-1 solutions.

Avalanche's History: Key Milestones

When the history of Avalanche coin analyzed - the project, which started at the idea stage in 2018, officially stepped into the crypto world with its main network in 2020. Thus, we also answer the question “When did Avax come out?”. If we give the exact date, Avalanche's main network (avalanche mainnet) officially went live on September 21, 2020. This date is seen as an important milestone in blockchain history. Overall, Avalanche's journey has been focused on research and development. Here are the milestones that stand out:

• In 2018, Ava Labs entered the market: Ava Labs was founded in 2018. The foundations of Avalanche were laid by Prof. Emin Gün Sirer, a distributed systems expert at Cornell University, and his colleagues. Theoretically new consensus protocols were developed and designed.
• AVAX tokens debuted in 2020: AVAX token sale and mainnet launch took place in 2020. In July 2020, Avalanche's first public token sale attracted more than $42 million. Then, on September 20, 2020, the Avalanche mainnet was successfully launched. This opened the world to a blockchain that could confirm transactions in less than a second.
• In 2021, the Avalanche Rush DeFi incentive program made its mark on the market: The Avalanche Rush program started in 2021. In August 2021, the Avalanche Foundation announced the Avalanche Rush incentive program, which brought major DeFi protocols such as Aave and Curve to Avalanche and allocated $180 million AVAX. This campaign brought significant volume and liquidity to the Avalanche ecosystem.
• Major partnership with Amazon in 2022: Blockchain integrations and infrastructure expansion accelerated from 2022. First, in June 2022, Avalanche added bridge support for Bitcoin and started moving BTC to the Avalanche network. This allowed users to utilize their Bitcoin on Avalanche DeFi protocols. Also, at the end of 2022, Ava Labs started to announce preparations to step into close cooperation with Amazon Web Services (AWS).
• In 2023-2024, the Subnet structure and collaborations expanded: During this period, Avalanche saw a number of new collaborations. E-sports giant TSM and gaming platform Loco announced that they will establish their own private subnet on Avalanche. Tencent Cloud, one of the world's largest infrastructure providers, announced that they will power their Web3 projects with Avalanche. Shopify store owners can now sell NFTs through Avalanche; Avalanche-based NFTs can be easily listed with solutions such as Venly. In summary, Avalanche continued to grow with major projects in gaming, NFT, finance and enterprise. Avalanche also launched its staking process in 2024. For those who wonder what AVAX staking is; It means both contributing to the security of the network and earning passive income by locking AVAX tokens to network validators or their own validator nodes. Rewards can be earned according to the amount of AVAX staked.
• 2025 - What are the latest developments? Infrastructural improvements accelerated in the Avalanche ecosystem. The AvalancheGo Etna upgrade will bring new flexibilities for those who want to build their own chain (L1). For example, this upgrade removes the 2,000 AVAX requirement to become an L1 validator. Also in 2024, agencies such as the California DMV implemented private blockchains on Avalanche, moving the vehicle records of 39 million people to the blockchain.
• In other words, technological updates throughout Avalanche's development process have made the network both more accessible and more secure. In particular, the maturation of the Subnet system paves the way for Avalanche to create more institutional use cases in the future.

Why is Avalanche valuable?

Avalanche has gained an important place in the crypto world with its technological innovations and wide range of uses. AVAX coin purpose is to provide developers with a fast, flexible and cost-effective infrastructure and make blockchain-based projects run more efficiently. So what makes Avalanche so special and valuable? Let's take a look together:

• High processing speed: Thanks to its unique consensus mechanism running in parallel, Avalanche can easily process thousands of transactions per second. Theoretically, it is said to reach 4,500 TPS levels. This makes it one of the fastest blockchains in the industry, able to run without bottlenecks even during periods of peak demand. In the table below, you can see the 2025 TPS data of Avalanche and other blockchains:

Blockchain Network	Real-Time TPS	Theoretical Max TPS	Average Transaction Time
Solana	~1,156 TPS	65,000 TPS	~0.4 seconds
Avalanche	~4,500 TPS	6,500 TPS	~1–2 seconds
Ethereum	~20 TPS	2,000 TPS*	~12 seconds
BNB Chain	~58 TPS	100,000,000 TPS†	~3 seconds

• Low transaction fees: Avalanche's efficient structure and Subnet architecture reduces both network congestion and energy consumption. As a result, users pay very low fees for transactions. So even with heavy traffic, there are no wallet-burning gas fees.
• Flexibility with subnet infrastructure: Avalanche offers the possibility to create application-specific chains, i.e. Subnets. In this way, developers can create custom chains according to the rules and needs they want. For example, it is possible to create a chain focused on low fees for a game, and another chain prioritizing security for a financial application. Moreover, this modular structure prevents the density of the network from affecting each other.

• Ethereum compatibility (EVM support): Avalanche's main network, called C-Chain, is fully compatible with the Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM). This means that smart contracts developed on Ethereum can be used on Avalanche with almost no modifications. Moreover, Avalanche's consensus model offers lower latency and higher transaction efficiency compared to Ethereum's Proof of Stake mechanism.
• Large and active ecosystem: The Avalanche network hosts a rich ecosystem of fast-growing projects. As of 2024, more than 500 applications were running on Avalanche. From DeFi to NFT, gaming projects to financial services, there is a vibrant activity in many areas. For example, major DeFi protocols such as Aave and Curve have integrated into Avalanche. In addition, applications such as BenQi, Trader Joe, Pangolin, known as DeFi AVAX projects in the DeFi space, have grown on Avalanche and gained significant popularity among users. In addition, gaming giants such as TSM, Loco and Kagool preferred to use Avalanche Subnets for their own projects. By 2025, we can say that Avalanche has become not just a network, but a full Web3 ecosystem.

Who is the Founder of Avalanche?

It's time to ask, “Who founded Avax?” Behind Avalanche, there is a name that has an important place in the blockchain world: Turkish-born Prof. Emin Gün Sirer. An academic at Cornell University, Sirer is especially known for his work in distributed systems. One of the core ideas of Avalanche is the product of his many years of research. In 2018, Sirer co-founded Ava Labs with Ted Yin and Kevin Sekniqi. This team was the main force that developed and implemented Avalanche's software. Sirer has been interested in blockchain technologies since the early days of Bitcoin. In developing Avalanche, he combined his years of scientific knowledge and the shortcomings he saw in the field to create a much faster, scalable and inclusive system. In his own words, Avalanche's goal was to “tokenize all financial assets in the world and build a fairer financial system”.

The Ava Labs team, led by Prof. Emin Gün Sirer, created a new standard in the blockchain world by developing the Avalanche infrastructure. Developed under the umbrella of Ava Labs, Avalanche was built with a completely science-based approach. The project's code is open-source, so developers around the world can continuously contribute. Sirer and his team focused on two main goals when designing Avalanche:

• The first was to build the system to be highly scalable.
• The second is to achieve this speed without sacrificing decentralization.

The Avalanche Consensus was developed with the aim of eliminating the high energy consumption of systems like Bitcoin and overcoming some of the limitations of Proof-of-Stake mechanisms. Today, the Avalanche community and the Ava Labs team continue on their path with the vision of creating next-generation blockchain solutions that are both decentralized and high-performance.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

We've shared the basics about Avalanche, now let's take a look at some of the most curious questions:

• What is Avalanche (AVAX), what does it do?: Avalanche is a fast and scalable Layer-1 blockchain network. If you ask what Avax coin does; AVAX tokens are used for in-network transactions, securing the network, and allowing users to earn rewards through staking. As the network's own cryptocurrency, AVAX is also used in transaction fees and different transactions on the network. It provides an infrastructure for decentralized applications and allows developers to build their own chains. In short, Avalanche offers a flexible blockchain experience for both developers and users.
• Who is the founder of Avalanche? The founder of Avalanche is Prof. Emin Gün Sirer, an academic specializing in distributed systems. Together with Ted Yin and Kevin Sekniqi, Sirer founded Ava Labs in 2018 and launched the Avalanche project. His vision, backed by scientific research, made Avalanche both a fast and decentralized blockchain network. Today, he still plays an active role in Avalanche's growth.
• How the Avalanche consensus algorithm works? Avalanche's consensus algorithm relies on nodes constantly communicating with small random groups to build consensus. This way, transactions are finalized in a very short time and ensures a high level of consistency across the network. It also combines the best aspects of classical and Nakamoto-style consensus. As a result, it offers a well-balanced structure in terms of both speed and security.
• How to stake AVAX? To stake your AVAX tokens, you can use a compatible wallet, such as Avalanche's Core wallet. When staking, you can either run your own validator or delegate to an existing validator. Starting at 25 AVAX, you can delegate, while a higher stake was required to become a validator (with new updates, this flexibility is increasing). With staking, you can contribute to network security and earn rewards at the same time.
• Why is the Avalanche network so fast? The Avalanche network runs extremely fast thanks to its consensus model, which runs in parallel and performs continuous random sampling. Transactions on the network are usually finalized in less than a second. In addition, since load sharing can be done between different chains, there is no serious congestion on the network. This architecture makes Avalanche one of the fastest blockchain networks.
• What is the difference between Avalanche and Ethereum? Both platforms offer smart contract support, but their architectural approach is quite different. Avalanche offers faster transaction finalization and lower transaction fees compared to Ethereum. Moreover, Avalanche enables the creation of independent blockchains for different use cases with its Subnet infrastructure, while Ethereum tries to scale with Layer-2 solutions. In other words, we can say that Avalanche offers a slightly freer structure in terms of flexibility of use.

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