Avalanche is a high-performance, multi-chain Layer-1 blockchain platform positioned as a programmable settlement layer for tokenized assets, payments, and on-chain applications, with a design that separates core functions across a built-in “Primary Network.” The Primary Network comprises three blockchains: the X-Chain for creating and transferring assets, the C-Chain as an EVM-compatible smart-contract chain, and the P-Chain for validator coordination, staking, and managing additional Avalanche L1 networks. Consensus is implemented as a family of protocols: Avalanche consensus for the DAG-based X-Chain and Snowman consensus for linear chains such as the C-Chain and P-Chain. Transaction fees are paid in AVAX and are burned, while network security is provided by validators staking AVAX (with a defined minimum stake for validation and delegation). Avalanche mainnet launched on September 21, 2020, and the ecosystem has continued expanding toward dedicated Avalanche L1s (formerly “Subnets”), including initiatives aimed at making sovereign L1 validation more lightweight and cost-efficient.