What is Avalanche (AVAX) crypto?
Avalanche (AVAX) fact sheet with live price · reviewed November 4, 2026
Avalanche is a fast proof-of-stake blockchain platform launched in 2020 by Ava Labs. Its main chain runs Ethereum-style smart contracts, and projects can launch their own connected blockchains (called L1s) on it. Its coin, AVAX, pays fees, which are burned, and is staked by validators.
- 24h high
- —
- 24h low
- —
- Market cap
- —
- 24h volume
- —
- Rank
- —
Loading live price…
Key facts
| Launched | September 2020 |
|---|---|
| Created by | Emin Gün Sirer and Ava Labs |
| How it's secured | Proof of stake (Avalanche consensus) |
| Maximum supply | 720 million AVAX |
| Fees | Burned (destroyed) |
| Finality | Usually under 2 seconds |
Who runs it
Over a thousand independent validators. Ava Labs builds the core software, and the Avalanche Foundation funds the ecosystem.
What it's used for
Ethereum-compatible apps on its main C-Chain, and custom blockchains for games, finance and companies.
How it works
Instead of every validator talking to every other, each one repeatedly samples a small random group and adopts the majority view until the network converges, which makes transactions final in about a second. The December 2024 "Avalanche9000" upgrade cut fees and made launching a connected chain much cheaper.
Where things stand (November 2026)
Avalanche is used by several financial firms for tokenization projects and by games; it competes with many other fast networks for users.
Risks to know
- Competes with many other fast networks.
- AVAX's price is volatile.
Buying and storing it
If you decide to buy, use a regulated exchange you reach directly, check fees with the true cost calculator, and store long-term holdings in a wallet you control, with the seed phrase written down offline. Read how to buy crypto safely. This page isn't a recommendation to buy.
Questions
Is Avalanche compatible with MetaMask?
Yes, its C-Chain works with Ethereum-style wallets.
Why is AVAX's supply capped?
The protocol limits it to 720 million, and fees are burned, which offsets some of the new AVAX paid to stakers.
Compare Avalanche
See it side by side, with live data: Solana vs. Avalanche. Track it in the private portfolio tracker.
Where to next
Sources
Facts checked against the sources listed, as of November 4, 2026. Live price data by CoinGecko. Educational only; not financial advice. How we write and check pages.