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Aeternity (AE) is a blockchain platform that focuses on high bandwidth transacting, purely-functional smart contracts, and decentralized oracles. It was founded in 2017, and seeks to eliminate inefficiencies in the crypto market by increasing scalability of smart contracts and dApps, sharding, and off-chain contract execution. The Turing-complete smart contracts on the Aeternity chain allow for transaction execution without third parties or intermediaries. Aeternity also has state channels to enable off-chain smart contract settlements which only touch the blockchain should a disagreement in the contract arise, acting as a self-arbitrating crypto court. The Aeternity blockchain is also built upon state-of-the-art cryptographic data structures which give rise to robust efficiency, strong security, and the elimination “single point of failure” (SPOF) issues.
What is Æternity?
Æternity is a blockchain platform that emerged with the vision to address some of the most pressing issues faced by blockchain technology and cryptocurrencies: scalability, security, and efficient integration with real-world data. Founded in 2016 and launching its mainnet in 2018, Æternity introduces a novel approach to achieving high scalability and facilitating seamless real-world data integration through its platform.
At the heart of Æternity's innovation is its unique blockchain architecture, which includes purely-functional smart contracts and decentralized oracles. These oracles are crucial for incorporating external data into the blockchain in a trustless manner, enabling smart contracts to execute based on real-world information without relying on third-party intermediaries. This capability is particularly beneficial for a wide range of applications, from financial services to supply chain management, where accurate and timely data is paramount.
Æternity's blockchain is designed to be highly scalable, addressing one of the significant challenges in the blockchain space. It achieves this through state channels, which allow off-chain smart contract settlements. These state channels ensure that contracts can interact privately and only utilize the blockchain in the event of a dispute, significantly reducing the burden on the network and enabling higher transaction throughput.
Furthermore, Æternity places a strong emphasis on security and efficiency. It is built upon advanced cryptographic data structures that not only ensure robust security but also eliminate common vulnerabilities such as the "single point of failure" (SPOF) issue. This makes Æternity's blockchain fault-tolerant and ideal for applications requiring high reliability and security.
The platform's native cryptocurrency, AE, serves as a utility token within the Æternity ecosystem. It is used to execute smart contracts, run decentralized applications (dApps), and participate in the network governance through voting mechanisms.
Æternity represents a significant step forward in making blockchain technology more accessible, scalable, and relevant for a wide array of real-world applications. Its focus on eliminating inefficiencies, enhancing scalability through sharding and off-chain contract execution, and its commitment to security and data integrity positions Æternity as a noteworthy platform in the blockchain space.
As with any cryptocurrency or blockchain platform, individuals should conduct thorough research and consider their investment goals and risk tolerance before engaging with the Æternity platform or acquiring AE tokens.
How is Æternity secured?
Aeternity employs a multifaceted approach to ensure its blockchain remains secure and efficient, catering to the needs of high bandwidth transactions and complex smart contracts. At the core of its security measures is the use of a type-safe virtual machine (VM), which significantly reduces the risks of vulnerabilities and attacks that could compromise the system. This VM ensures that only well-defined and safe operations can be executed, providing a solid foundation for the deployment of smart contracts.
The platform's decentralized consensus mechanisms further bolster its security. By distributing control and decision-making across a wide network of participants, Aeternity mitigates the risks associated with centralized systems, where a single point of failure could lead to significant security breaches. This decentralized design is crucial for maintaining the integrity and trustworthiness of the blockchain.
Aeternity's implementation of state channels is another key feature that enhances its security and efficiency. These state channels allow for off-chain smart contract settlements, which means that transactions can be processed without the need for every operation to be recorded on the blockchain. This not only speeds up transaction times but also reduces the potential for disputes, as the state channels act as a self-arbitrating mechanism. In the event of a disagreement, the contract can be brought back to the blockchain for resolution, ensuring fairness and transparency.
Moreover, Aeternity has customized security measures in place, including the use of advanced cryptographic data structures. These structures provide robust efficiency and security, eliminating common vulnerabilities such as single points of failure. The platform's purely-functional smart contracts and decentralized oracles further contribute to its secure and reliable infrastructure, making Aeternity a strong contender in the blockchain space.
In summary, Aeternity's security is achieved through a combination of a type-safe VM, decentralized consensus mechanisms, state channels for off-chain contract execution, and customized cryptographic measures. These features work together to create a secure, efficient, and scalable blockchain platform.
How will Æternity be used?
Æternity is positioned as a blockchain platform designed to address some of the critical challenges faced by the blockchain and cryptocurrency sectors, particularly in terms of scalability, security, and efficiency. Its primary use case revolves around serving as a development platform for data-oriented applications, leveraging its next-generation blockchain technology to offer significant technical advantages.
One of the core features of Æternity is its approach to scalability. Unlike traditional blockchains that often struggle with network congestion and high transaction fees during peak times, Æternity is built to have no scaling limits. This is achieved through state channels, which allow off-chain smart contract settlements. These state channels ensure that contracts can be executed off the main chain, reducing the burden on the network and enabling faster transaction times. Only in cases of disputes do these transactions touch the blockchain, where they are resolved in a self-arbitrating manner.
Security and safety of code are paramount in Æternity’s design. The platform uses the Sophia programming language for smart contracts, which is designed to facilitate safer and more secure code. This focus on security is critical in a landscape where vulnerabilities can lead to significant financial losses.
Interoperability is another key aspect of Æternity, with its on-chain oracles. These oracles allow the blockchain to interact seamlessly with real-world data, making it an ideal platform for decentralized finance (DeFi) applications. The ability to integrate external information into smart contracts in a trustless manner opens up a myriad of use cases in finance, insurance, and beyond.
Æternity also emphasizes decentralized applications (dApps) and DeFi use cases. Its partnerships within the DeFi space highlight its commitment to fostering a vibrant ecosystem where developers can build applications that leverage the full potential of blockchain technology. From financial services to gaming and beyond, Æternity aims to be a foundational layer for a new wave of innovative applications.
The platform is powered by the Æ coin, which is used for transaction fees, smart contract execution, and other network operations. With its Hyperchains consensus upgrade, Æternity aims to further enhance its network's security and efficiency, ensuring it remains competitive in the rapidly evolving blockchain landscape.
In summary, Æternity is used as a robust platform for developing open-source, data-oriented applications with a strong emphasis on scalability, security, and interoperability. Its focus on DeFi and partnerships in the space, coupled with technical innovations like state channels and on-chain oracles, positions it as a significant player in the blockchain ecosystem.
What key events have there been for Æternity?
Æternity has marked its presence in the blockchain sphere through a series of significant milestones and developments since its inception. Founded in 2017, this blockchain platform has been dedicated to addressing critical inefficiencies in the cryptocurrency market, focusing on enhancing the scalability of smart contracts and decentralized applications (dApps), introducing innovative solutions such as sharding, and facilitating off-chain contract execution.
One of the pivotal moments for Æternity was the launch of its mainnet in 2018, a significant step that marked its transition to a fully operational blockchain platform. This launch laid the foundation for the platform to start implementing its core features and technologies.
Following the mainnet launch, Æternity introduced State Channels, a groundbreaking feature that allows for off-chain smart contract execution. This innovation is designed to significantly reduce the burden on the blockchain, ensuring faster transactions and lower costs, while maintaining security and integrity. State Channels are particularly notable for their ability to settle smart contract disputes on-chain only when necessary, thereby acting as a self-arbitrating mechanism.
Looking ahead, Æternity is preparing for the Hyperchains consensus upgrade, an anticipated development that aims to further enhance the platform's scalability and security. This upgrade is expected to introduce a more robust consensus mechanism, ensuring that Æternity remains at the forefront of blockchain innovation.
In addition to these technical milestones, Æternity has also engaged its community through events and initiatives such as the Universe Two event and an Airdrop. These efforts not only foster a strong sense of community but also encourage active participation and contribution to the platform's growth and development.
As Æternity continues to evolve, it remains committed to its mission of eliminating inefficiencies in the crypto market through high bandwidth transacting, purely-functional smart contracts, and decentralized oracles. Its focus on leveraging state-of-the-art cryptographic data structures ensures that the platform not only offers robust efficiency and security but also addresses the critical issue of eliminating "single point of failure" (SPOF) vulnerabilities.
For anyone considering investing in cryptocurrencies or blockchain platforms, it's crucial to conduct thorough research and stay informed about the latest developments and future plans of projects like Æternity. This approach will help in making informed decisions and understanding the potential risks and opportunities associated with such investments.
The live Æternity price today is $0.019906 USD with a 24-hour trading volume of $439,403 USD. We update our AE to USD price in real-time. Æternity is down 0.28% in the last 24 hours. The current CoinMarketCap ranking is #1143, with a live market cap of $7,626,428 USD. It has a circulating supply of 383,122,126 AE coins and a max. supply of 536,306,702 AE coins.