Avalanche is a blockchain platform and cryptocurrency that was launched in 2020. Here are the key details about Avalanche: - Avalanche is a public, open-source blockchain that is designed to be highly scalable, fast, and secure. It aims to address some of the limitations of earlier blockchain networks. - The Avalanche network utilizes a novel consensus mechanism called the Avalanche consensus protocol, which allows for rapid transaction finality (in under 2 seconds) and high throughput. - Avalanche has its own native cryptocurrency called AVAX, which is used for transactions, staking, and paying network fees. AVAX is traded on major cryptocurrency exchanges. - In addition to the main Avalanche blockchain, the platform supports the creation of custom blockchain networks called "subnets". This allows developers to build decentralized applications (dApps) on Avalanche tailored to their specific use cases. - Avalanche supports smart contract functionality, allowing developers to build a wide range of decentralized finance ([[Decentralized Finance (DeFi)]]) applications, non-fungible tokens ([[NFT]]s), and more on the platform. - The Avalanche ecosystem has attracted significant investment and adoption, with over $13 billion in [[Total Value Locked (TVL)]] in its DeFi applications as of 2023. - Key features of Avalanche include its emphasis on decentralization, low transaction fees, and environmental sustainability compared to some other blockchain networks. Overall, Avalanche aims to provide a scalable, high-performance blockchain infrastructure for the growing decentralized application ecosystem.