Blockchain and ELA
The blockchain is the trust layer of ElastOS. It anchors staking, governance and identity, so the rules are set by the network and not by one company. Not every app action goes on-chain. Everyday use stays fast and on your computer.
The Elastos blockchain
Elastos runs three connected chains:
| Chain | What it does |
|---|---|
| Mainchain | The base chain. Merge-mined with Bitcoin. Anchors staking and governance. |
| Identity chain (EID) | Holds decentralized identities (DIDs). |
| Elastos Smart Chain (ESC) | Runs smart contracts that work like Ethereum’s (EVM). |
ELA
ELA is the native token of Elastos.
- Merge-mined with Bitcoin since 2018. Bitcoin miners secure ELA with the same proof-of-work they use for Bitcoin, at no extra energy cost.
- Capped at 28.22 million. Block rewards halve every four years, like Bitcoin.
- Staked validators (BPoS) co-sign blocks to finalise them.
- Used for network fees, staking, voting in the Elastos DAO, and anchoring identities.
For live figures such as price, supply and hashrate, see elastos.org/ela.
Essentials is the separate Elastos mobile wallet for ELA, staking, voting and identity. It is not the Wallet App inside Home.
What Home uses today
The Runtime’s chain provider gives Apps safe, read-only access to these networks:
| Network | Kind |
|---|---|
| Elastos Mainchain | Elastos |
| Elastos Smart Chain (chain ID 20) | EVM |
| Base (chain ID 8453) | EVM |
| Bitcoin | Bitcoin |
- Apps never get raw network addresses, node ports or private keys. They ask the Runtime, and the provider does the work.
- The provider can read status, block heights, balances and transactions.
- It can prepare a transaction, but a transaction needs your approval in Wallet before it is signed.
See Wallet for what the Wallet App does.
Governance
The Elastos DAO steers Elastos. ELA holders elect its council every year. The council approves proposals and funds the work, including ElastOS. Votes are public and on-chain. See elastos.org/about.
Today in v2: chain reads and balances on Elastos, Base and Bitcoin, and passkey-approved sending on Elastos Smart Chain and Base. Your identities work without the blockchain.
Where it is headed: identities anchored on the Elastos identity chain, publisher identity and proof of who made what, and rights for paid content. Rights anchoring is in development. See the roadmap.