Avalanche (AVAX) Is a Fast, Scalable Blockchain Platform Launched in September 2020 by Ava Labs

Avalanche is a fast, scalable blockchain platform launched in September 2020 by Ava Labs, founded by Cornell professor Emin Gün Sirer.

Avalanche, a blockchain platform launched in September 2020 by Ava Labs, has been making headlines for its rapid technological advancements and growing ecosystem.

Cornell professor Emin Gün Sirer founded Ava Labs, which developed Avalanche as a scalable blockchain capable of handling thousands of transactions quickly and cheaply, setting it apart from other platforms like Ethereum and Solana.

Avalanche crypto is known for its versatility, catering to developers with an Ethereum-compatible setting for smart contracts and decentralized apps (dApps). Its three-chain system—X-Chain for assets, C-Chain for smart contracts, and P-Chain for validators—enables efficient operations.

Avalanche’s setup allows it to process up to 6,500 transactions per second with minimal confirmation times, usually under two seconds. Transaction fees are also quite low, starting from a few cents. In contrast, Ethereum handles 15–30 transactions per second with higher costs, varying by network congestion.

Moreover, Avalanche’s proof-of-stake system is energy-efficient, especially when compared to Bitcoin’s proof-of-work protocol.

Another core strength is its subnets. These are custom blockchains that businesses or developer teams can deploy on the Avalanche network. They have their own tokens, rules, and governance, permitting businesses to create private blockchains with defined participants or open ones like a gaming ecosystem.

The Avalanche9000 (Etna) Upgrade in 2024 slashed subnet creation costs by 90%, making it easier for anyone to launch a blockchain. This was further aided by tools like AvaCloud for rapid subnet setup and HyperSDK, which allows launching a subnet with one command.

Avalanche crypto is gaining attention for its rapid development, evident in several recent milestones:

Avalanche9000 Upgrade (2024): This major update reduced subnet creation costs, leading to over 100 new subnets in 2024. It has empowered developers to build anything from gaming networks to enterprise solutions, fostering the growth of Avalanche’s ecosystem.

SolvBTC.AVAX Launch (May 16, 2025): Solv Protocol, in collaboration with Avalanche, Balancer, and other DeFi protocols, launched SolvBTC.AVAX. This Bitcoin-backed token, created using Solv’s cross-chain rendering technology, offers an interesting yield opportunity for investors. It’s a significant addition to Avalanche’s decentralized finance (DeFi) scene and might attract more institutional interest.

VanEck’s VBILL Fund (May 15, 2025): Aimed at larger investors with a $100,000 minimum, VanEck launched a tokenized U.S. Treasury fund on Avalanche, along with Ethereum and Solana. This follows BlackRock’s integration of an $80 million BUIDL fund on Avalanche for real-world asset (RWA) tokenization.

MapleStory N Game: The popular game MapleStory launched its Web3 version, named "N," on Avalanche’s Henesys subnet. This allows players to own and trade in-game items using blockchain technology. The game, previously deployed on Polygon, is shifting to Avalanche, highlighting the latter’s growing role in the gaming industry.

Bitget Partnership: To expand its presence in India, Avalanche has partnered with crypto exchange Bitget, which boasts over 100 million users. Together, they are launching a $10 million grant and scholarship program for the country’s Web3 developers.

ETF Filings: Both VanEck and Canary Capital have filed for Avalanche-based exchange-traded funds (ETFs) with Nasdaq. If approved, these ETFs could introduce Avalanche to a broader institutional audience, potentially by December 2025.

Network Growth: Avalanche's C-Chain reached a two-year high with 280,000 active addresses and 700,000 transactions in a single day, driven by the growing DeFi and gaming activity on the network. Moreover, stablecoin supply on Avalanche has increased by 70% since March 2024, reaching $2.5 billion.

These developments highlight Avalanche’s adaptability, evident in its presence across diverse use cases, from finance to gaming. This versatility has made Avalanche crypto a hot topic in 2025.

AVAX Token Price Analysis: Past Performance, 2025 Trends, and What to Expect

The native token of the Avalanche blockchain is AVAX. It’s used for paying transaction fees, securing the network through staking, and deploying subnets.

Current Price: As of May 19, 2025, at 08:00 UTC, AVAX is trading at $22.00 USD, with a market cap of $9.25 billion, ranking #13 on CoinMarketCap.