## What Is StrongBlock (STRONG)?

[StrongBlock (STRONG)](https://coinmarketcap.com/currencies/strong/) is a blockchain protocol focused on rewarding [nodes](https://coinmarketcap.com/alexandria/glossary/node) for supporting the infrastructure of their blockchain. The protocol notes that its mission is to create a world "where the StrongBlock Node Army supports dozens of protocols and millions of nodes." In other words, StrongBlock offers a node-as-a-service tool to allow people to participate in securing blockchains without requiring the technical knowledge needed to do so. Thanks to StrongBlock's automated processes, users do not have to know how to code or run their own server to keep the node online.

This fixes current node problems like out-of-date software, incomplete blockchain histories, and downtimes. With over 1,700 Ethereum 1.0 nodes, StrongBlock represents more than 15% of all active nodes on [Ethereum](https://coinmarketcap.com/currencies/ethereum/) 1.0. In the future, StrongBlock plans to offer its nodes-as-a-service tool also for Ethereum 2.0, Bitcoin, and other protocols. 


## Who Are the Founders of StrongBlock?

StrongBlock was founded in July 2018 by CEO David Moss, an LA-based blockchain entrepreneur with three decades of experience as CTO, CEO, and founder of various tech-related companies. 

He is supported by CTO Brian Abramson, a systems administrator, and developer with almost two decades of experience. Abramson previously was the VP of Infrastructure for Block.one, a blockchain company related to [EOS](https://coinmarketcap.com/currencies/eos/).

The third member of the executive team is CPO Corey Lederer, an expert for enterprise blockchains and cryptocurrencies. Lederer was the former Senior Director at Block.one and has two decades of experience in leadership positions at companies like Nike.


## What Makes StrongBlock Unique?

StrongBlock offers nodes that support the Ethereum network and can be either purchased as a service or brought by users themselves. Although over 350 nodes have been registered for rewards by the community, **nodes-as-a-service** is the protocol's key value proposition deemed interesting to most users.

Anyone can "rent" a node that StrongBlock hosts and maintains. Users that want to bring their own node have to contribute 10 STRONG to the community, which are used as follows:



* 10% are reserved for future use.
* 10% are allocated to rewards in STRONG-ETH and LINK-STRONG [liquidity pools](https://coinmarketcap.com/alexandria/glossary/liquidity-pool).
* 20% go to the StrongPool for rewards
* 60% are allocated to node rewards.

Whether owned or rented by STRONG holders, all nodes are rewarded daily. Furthermore, nodes can receive rewards by signaling for a node, with both the node and the signaler receiving the reward. Each mined STRONG entitles the miner to signal one node. Mining rewards for STRONG tokens were reduced after the tokenomics changed and are based on elapsed Ethereum blocks, resulting in much lower gas fees. 

This system enables the protocol's **Node Universal Basic Income (NUBI)**. The STRONG earned through NUBI is used to govern the protocol and regulate the community's contributions per node, the level of monthly maintenance fees (currently $14.95), burning STRONG for NFTs, and more. In the future, the protocol plans to issue NFTs in addition to its native token as a reward. 


## Related Pages:

Check out [Chainlink (LINK)](https://coinmarketcap.com/currencies/chainlink/) — an oracle solution used by many protocols.

Check out [Band Protocol (BAND)](https://coinmarketcap.com/currencies/band-protocol/) — another oracle solution.

Learn about what [Nodes are and how they work](https://coinmarketcap.com/alexandria/article/what-is-a-node).

Get the latest crypto news and latest trading insights with the [CoinMarketCap blog](https://coinmarketcap.com/alexandria/categories/blog).


## How Many StrongBlock (STRONG) Coins Are There in Circulation?

STRONG is the protocol's [governance token](https://coinmarketcap.com/alexandria/glossary/governance-token). In November 2020, StrongBlock decided to update its tokenomics and burn 94% of the original 10 million STRONG. The new [total supply](https://coinmarketcap.com/alexandria/glossary/total-supply) of STRONG is 535,000, with a current [circulating supply ](https://coinmarketcap.com/alexandria/glossary/circulating-supply)of 138,000. This decision led to a massive surge in the token price from under $50 to an all-time high of almost $1,200. The token serves as a reward for the node operators running on Ethereum and as a means to vote in the protocol's governance.

The token distribution is as follows:



* 330,365.57 STRONG are for **Community** rewards for nodes and miners directly supporting the protocol
* 96,784.62 STRONG are for **Shareholders** of StrongBlock, creators of the StrongBlock DeFi protocol
* 101,735.81 STRONG are for the **Team** (developers of the protocol)
* 0 STRONG is allocated to StrongBlock

With this tokenomics change, the team switches to a low-inflation model that emphasizes node participation and pushes the number of nodes from the hundreds to the thousands.


## How Is the StrongBlock Network Secured?

StrongBlock runs on [Ethereum](https://coinmarketcap.com/currencies/ethereum/), which is secured by a [proof-of-work consensus mechanism](https://coinmarketcap.com/alexandria/glossary/proof-of-work-pow) that requires miners to mine new Ether. A set of decentralized nodes validates transactions and secures the Ethereum blockchain. The protocol has been successfully audited by Hacken and has integrated oracle services by Chainlink to determine mining reward distributions in STRONG. The team chose Chainlink over rivaling oracle solutions because of its "timely and accurate" price calculations, which are crucial for the protocol's success. 


## Where Can You Buy StrongBlock (STRONG)?

STRONG is available on [KuCoin](https://coinmarketcap.com/exchanges/kucoin/), [Gate.io](https://coinmarketcap.com/exchanges/gate-io/), [Bitrue](https://coinmarketcap.com/exchanges/bitrue/), [Hoo](https://coinmarketcap.com/exchanges/hoo/), and [Uniswap (V2)](https://coinmarketcap.com/exchanges/uniswap-v2/).

If you want to learn more about how to start buying cryptocurrencies, you can read more in [our guide](https://coinmarketcap.com/how-to-buy-bitcoin/).

Strong

Trust Wallet

MetaMask

Ethereum

Shiba Inu

Chainlink

UNUS SED LEO

Uniswap

Genaro Network

Alphabet

Corite

KlubCoin

Don-key

Salad

Acquire.Fi

AGA Token

EXNT

Gold

Apes Go Bananas

X2Y2

Scotty The Ai

wrapped POKT

Brett

Kadena is a proof-of-work blockchain that combines the PoW consensus mechanism from Bitcoin with directed acyclic graph (DAG) principles to offer a scalable version of Bitcoin. Kadena claims it can provide the security of Bitcoin while being able to offer unparalleled throughput that makes the blockchain usable to enterprises and entrepreneurs alike. Kadena's unique infrastructure is decentralized and built for mass adoption because of its multi-chain approach.

Kadena promises industrial scalability that can support global financial systems and can be scaled as necessary. It also vows to remain energy-efficient at scale and deliver more transactions with the same energy input, another difference to Bitcoin. Moreover, Kadena offers crypto gas stations, which allow businesses to pay for their customers' gas fees and remove a massive pain point in adopting blockchains for business.

Kadena has already scaled its network from 10 to 20 blockchains and can do so again in the future, if necessary. This final addition to Kadena was its private Kuro layer-two blockchain, which supports up to 8,000 transactions per second across 500 nodes.

Kadena

Flux is the cryptocurrency that powers the Flux ecosystem. It has a number of uses including purchasing resources, collateralizing nodes and fuelling transactions on FluxOS, as well as rewarding both miners and FluxNode operators for providing computational resources.

The Flux ecosystem is devoted to empowering everyone to develop, deploy and use the decentralized Internet of the future: Web3

At this moment the Flux ecosystem consists of: a native, minable POW cryptocurrency ($FLUX), a powerful decentralized computational Flux Network (FluxNodes), a Linux based operating system (FluxOS), the premier digital asset platform (Zelcore) and, finally, the Flux blockchain for on-chain governance, economics and parallel assets to provide interoperability with other blockchains and DeFi access.

Currently (2023/1) Flux has a computational network consisting of around 15,000 decentralized nodes, distributed globally with more than 108,000 CPU cores, 288 terabytes of RAM and 6.7 petabytes of storage. That makes Flux the largest decentralized network in the world!

Flux

Verasity is an open-ledger ecosystem designed to fight advertising fraud, provide open access to infrastructure for publishers and advertisers, and reward users for watching video content. Verasity also provides payment solutions and a rewarding staking ecosystem with 15% yields guaranteed through to April 2024.

Powered by a mix of artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML), and cutting-edge blockchain technologies, Verasity is building the most powerful advertising ecosystem in the world through VeraViews; developing an open-access payments platform through VeraWallet, the VeraCard, and VeraPay; and enhancing the attention economy through its patented Rewarded Video module.

Verasity

Moonriver is an Ethereum-compatible, smart-contract parachain on Kusama. It is intended to be a companion network to Moonbeam, where it will provide a permanently incentivized canary network. New code will ship to Moonriver first, where it can be tested and verified under real economic conditions. Once proven, the same code will ship to Moonbeam on Polkadot.

It does this by providing a full EVM implementation, a Web3-compatible API, and bridges that connect Moonriver to existing Ethereum networks.

This allows developers to deploy existing Solidity smart contracts and DApp frontends to Moonriver with minimal changes.

Moonriver

Fantom is a directed acyclic graph (DAG) smart contract platform providing decentralized finance (DeFi) services to developers using its own bespoke consensus algorithm.

Together with its in-house token FTM, Fantom aims to solve problems associated with smart-contract platforms, specifically transaction speed, which developers say they have reduced to under two seconds.

The Fantom Foundation, which oversees the Fantom product offering, was originally created in 2018, with the launch of OPERA, Fantom’s mainnet, coming in December 2019.

Fantom is an open-source decentralized smart contract platform for DApps and digital assets that was created as an alternative to Ethereum. Fantom has the goal of overcoming the limitations of previous generation blockchains and balancing three components: scalability, security and decentralization. The project offers a set of tools to simplify the process of integrating existing DApps, as well as a detailed staking reward system and built-in DeFi instruments.

Fantom is a Layer-1 blockchain that uses a scratch-built consensus mechanism and independent consensus layer, Lachesis, to facilitate DeFi and related services on the basis of smart contracts. Lachesis provides security for other layers as well, including Opera, Fantom's EVM-compatible smart contract chain. The long-playing mission of the project is to “grant compatibility between all transaction bodies around the world.”

One of Fantom's key strengths is its performance and efficient transaction processing, namely thousands of transactions per second, where transactions are settled in 1-2 seconds, and the cost is fractions of a cent per transaction. As a result, Fantom provides higher scalability but at a lower cost.

The ecosystem is based on two main technologies: Lachesis protocol and Opera.

The Lachesis protocol is the core consensus layer that secures the Fantom network by providing both transaction speed and security.

Lachesis is an aBFT consensus engine that uses a directed acyclic graph (DAG) algorithm. How it works: network data can be processed at different times, and the network filters the participants, allowing only one third, which are allocated due to erroneous or malicious behavior, without compromising network processes.

Fantom's Asynchronous Byzantine Fault Tolerant (aBFT) Proof-of-Stake (PoS) consensus mechanism maintains the efficiency of the entire network, its design provides security at maximum speed. Fantom developers emphasize that the PoS mechanism is a leaderless phenomenon — there are no leaders of blocks and participants, and anyone can join (or leave) the network of nodes at a convenient moment.

The key qualities of Lachesis are: asynchronous, leaderless, Byzantine fault-tolerant, and near-instant finality.

As for Opera, it's an application development layer or Fantom's mainnet deployment platform, permissionless and open-source hosting DApps. Thanks to EVM integration and support for the Solidity programming language, Fantom has a full set of smart contract capabilities, which allows users to seamlessly interact with Ethereum platforms while maintaining the advantage of Fantom's transaction efficiency.

The Fantom Foundation concluded that removing block leaders improves network security, so Opera uses a PoS model and leaderless validators (validators do not determine which blocks are valid).

In addition to being a fast, secure and cheap payment platform that enables to make fast and secure payments at minimal cost, Fantom also features on-chain governance where users vote with FTM tokens (one token equals one vote). Of the features: users have the right to express the degree of agreement / disagreement on a scale from 0 to 4.

FTM is the native utility in-house PoS token of Fantom that powers the ecosystem and is applied for payments, network fees, staking, and governance. FTM forms the backbone of transactions, and allows fee collection and staking activities, along with the user rewards the latter represents.

Fantom

Helium (HNT) is a decentralized blockchain-powered network for Internet of Things (IoT) devices.

Launched in July 2019, the Helium mainnet allows low-powered wireless devices to communicate with each other and send data across its network of nodes.

Nodes come in the form of so-called Hotspots, which are a combination of a wireless gateway and a blockchain mining device. Users who operate nodes thus mine and earn rewards in Helium’s native cryptocurrency token, HNT.

Helium’s goal is to prepare IoT communication for the future, identifying inadequacies in current infrastructure from its birth in 2013.

Helium

MultiVAC

Quant launched in June 2018 with the goal of connecting blockchains and networks on a global scale, without reducing the efficiency and interoperability of the network. It is the first project to solve the interoperability problem through the creation of the first blockchain operating system.

To learn more about this project, check out our deep dive of Quant.

The project is built as an operating system distributed ledger technology— and Overledger Network — for connecting different blockchain networks. The project is billed as the first OS to be built for blockchains.

The main aim of Quant — using Overledger — is to bridge the gap that exists between different blockchains. The backbone of the project is the Overledger network, which Quant bills as the ecosystem on which the future digital economy ecosystem will be built.

Overledger allows developers to build decentralized multi-chain applications (known as MApps) for their customers. For developers to build a Mapp on the network, they must hold a certain amount of Quant tokens (QNT).

Quant

Anchor Protocol is a lending and borrowing protocol offering up to 19.5% yield on stablecoin deposits. Lenders can deposit their UST and earn attractive rates on their investments while simultaneously benefiting from low volatility. Borrowers can turn their LUNA collateral into productive assets without giving up control of it.

Anchor Protocol can thus attract risk-averse investors looking for high-yield, low-volatility investments and increase demand for UST. This advances the adoption of UST as a stablecoin and subsequently the adoption of the Terra project in DeFi. With the increasing adoption of Terra, whose founders are behind the launch of Anchor Protocol, the price of LUNA will increase.

Anchor Protocol

Harmony is a blockchain platform designed to facilitate the creation and use of decentralized applications (DApps). The network aims to innovate the way decentralized applications work by focusing on random state sharding, which allows creating blocks in seconds.

According to the project’s website, Harmony is expected to introduce cross-shard contracts and a cross-chain infrastructure by the end of 2021.

Harmony

Ultra is a publishing platform and ecosystem for video games and video game content. Ultra’s mission is to do away with the current monopoly held by publishing platforms like Steam and provide new opportunities to game developers, players, and influencers. Ultra promises a solution that is more equitable to players and developers alike. Players can benefit from immediately playable games, earn UOS by using the platform, and access platform-exclusive games. At the same time, developers benefit from access to more effective marketing tools and the potential for 20% higher sales revenue.

Besides content and game publishing, Ultra offers a demand-side and service-side platform for advertisers, the opportunity for players to resell their used games, and a platform-exclusive app.

Ultra

Cronos (CRO) is the native cryptocurrency token of Cronos Chain — a decentralized, open-source blockchain developed by the Crypto.com payment, trading and financial services company.

Cronos Chain is one of the products in Crypto.com’s lineup of solutions designed to accelerate the global adoption of cryptocurrencies as a means of increasing personal control over money, safeguarding user data and protecting users’ identities. The CRO blockchain serves primarily as a vehicle that powers the Crypto.com Pay mobile payments app.

In the future, Crypto.com plans to expand the reach of the CRO platform to power its other products as well.

CRO went live in November-December 2018.

Cronos

Energy Web Token (EWT) is the operational token behind the Energy Web Chain, a blockchain-based virtual machine designed to support and further application development for the energy sector.

Energy Web Chain was launched in June 2019. The Energy Web Foundation is the non-profit enterprise behind the project. EWT aims to bring diversity to the energy sector by allowing developers to create decentralized applications (DApps). The virtual machine has the potential to benefit actors from all areas of energetics, including grid operators, software developers, and vendors.

Energy Web Token

Celsius (CEL) is an all-in-one banking and financial services platform for cryptocurrency users.

Launched in June 2018, it offers rewards for depositing cryptocurrency, along with services such as loans and wallet-style payments.

Users of the platform receive regular payouts and interest on their holdings. Celsius’ native token, CEL, performs a variety of internal functions, including boosting user payouts if used as the payment currency.

Celsius

XPR Network

Deeper Network is backed by Parity, AU21, Digital Renaissance, Master Ventures, Brilliance Ventures, Loopring, SevenX Ventures, UVA, YOUBI Capital, GOBI Partners, CANDAQ, Blocksync Ventures, Republic, ChinaPolka, Titan Ventures, Consensus Lab, Spark Digital Capital and BMW Capital.

Deeper Network also has partnerships with Polkadot, Best Buy, Amazon, Indiegogo, PAID Ignition, Duckstarter, Poolz and Flybit.

Deeper Network

Terra is a blockchain protocol that uses fiat-pegged stablecoins to power price-stable global payments systems. According to its white paper, Terra combines the price stability and wide adoption of fiat currencies with the censorship-resistance of Bitcoin (BTC) and offers fast and affordable settlements.

Development on Terra began in January 2018, and its mainnet officially launched in April 2019. As of September 2021, it offers stablecoins pegged to the U.S. dollar, South Korean won, Mongolian tugrik and the International Monetary Fund's Special Drawing Rights basket of currencies — and it intends to roll out additional options.

On May 28, 2022, the genesis block of the new chain was launched to conduct future transactions under the name Terra (LUNA), and the original Terra Chain was rebranded as Terra Classic. The original native token — LUNA has also been renamed as LUNA Classic (LUNC). Moreover, all network stablecoins (UST, KRT, EUT) have been renamed to Terra Classic stablecoins (USTC, KRTC, EUTC). There will be no Terra stablecoins on the new chain.

There is a theory that the additional term “classic” is a reference to the Ethereum / Ethereum Classic split in 2017. According to CEO, Do Kwon, the collapse of UST in the spring of 2022 is the equivalent moment of the Ethereum’s DAO hack that took place in 2017.

Terra Classic

The XDC Network is a blockchain developed to support trade finance and the tokenization of RWAs. A highly optimized, EVM-compatible Layer 1 blockchain, XDC Network reaches consensus through a delegated proof-of-stake (dPoS) mechanism, which allows for a transaction time of mere seconds, near zero gas fees, and a high number of transactions per second (TPS).

Secure, scalable, and highly efficient, the XDC Network powers a wide range of novel blockchain use cases and provides state-of-the-art infrastructure for enterprise-grade blockchain applications. With architecture that enables the creation of sovereign sub-networks, XDC Network is uniquely equipped to support those who require dedicated blockchain environments for enhanced permissions and control, such as government agencies, financial institutions, and businesses.

As of April 25, 2024, there are 312 XDC Network validator masternode candidates, of which 108 actively operate as validator masternodes, and the remainder are standby masternodes. Each masternode operator is required to stake 10M XDC.

A forthcoming upgrade to the consensus mechanism, dubbed XDC 2.0, is currently running on testnet. It and subsequent iterations of the XDC Network protocol will further enhance the security of the consensus mechanism and incorporate a novel "judiciary branch" into the consensus mechanism.

Developed by Princeton University's Pramod Viswanath, Hash Laboratories' Fisher Yu, and their team, XDC 2.0’s cutting-edge compliance technology will ensure unprecedented Byzantine fault tolerance (BFT) by holding validators accountable for their actions on an automated yet discretionary basis.