Welcome to our deep dive series on the Metal Blockchain!
In this series, we will be taking an in-depth look at the various components and features of the Metal Blockchain. We will explain the Layer 0 concept, explore the history of consensus mechanisms and why the Metal Blockchain employs Avalanche protocols as the latest advancement in consensus technology.
We’ll also take an in-depth look at the flow of a single blockchain on the Metal Blockchain, the underlying components, such as the Virtual Machine, Subnets, and the $METAL token, including its tokenomics, fee burns, fee schedule, and staking rewards. And we'll explore the decentralized, independent governance model employed on the Metal Blockchain.
Subnets: designed for scalability
Decentralized independent governance model
This series aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of the Metal Blockchain for both experienced and new users. Join us as we delve into the technical details and discover the unique advantages of the Metal Blockchain.
In the sixth and final article of our deep dive series, we will provide an overview of the METAL token, its tokenomics, fee burns, the fee schedule and staking rewards.
What is $METAL?
METAL is a hard-capped, scarce asset and the native token of the Metal Blockchain that is used to pay for transaction fees, secure the platform through staking, and provide a basic unit of account between the multiple subnets created on the Metal Blockchain.
Fee Burning
In order to prevent spam, transactions on the Metal Blockchain require the payment of a transaction fee. The fee is paid in METAL. The transaction fee is burned (destroyed forever), decreasing the overall supply of METAL and adding a deflationary element to METAL.
Fee Schedule
Transaction fees on the Metal Blockchain vary depending on the type of transaction being performed. The following table shows the fee schedule for different types of transactions:
(*) C-Chain gas price can vary.
The Metal Blockchain’s C-Chain uses an algorithm to determine the "base fee" for a transaction. The base fee increases when network utilization is above the target utilization and decreases when network utilization is below the target.
Tokenomics
METAL has a hard-capped supply of 666,666,666 coins. The distribution of METAL is as follows:
Metal Foundation: 142,333,333 METAL
Founders: 71,000,000 METAL
MTL conversion: 120,000,000 METAL
Staking rewards: 333,333,333 METAL
Total max supply: 666,666,666 METAL
The founders were granted 71,000,000 METAL, which vest over a period of 12 months. The Metal Foundation received 142,333,333 METAL to fund development and accelerate the growth of the network. During the conversion event when Metal Blockchain launched, MTL community members had the opportunity to convert their Metal DAO tokens to METAL coins, with a maximum limit of 60,000,000 MTL that could be converted.
The emission structure of METAL for staking rewards is set to release 333,333,333 coins on a sliding scale, becoming increasingly scarce over a long period of time. These factors combine to create incentives for users to participate in staking and help secure the Metal blockchain.
The supply formula is as follows:
(666.6M — 333.3M) * (1M / 333.3M) * (10% + 2% * MinimumStakingDuration / MaximumStakingDuration) * MinimumStakingDuration / MaximumStakingDuration
Staking rewards
Staking is the process of depositing and locking up cryptocurrency tokens to participate in a blockchain’s Proof-of-Stake (PoS) consensus mechanism.
Staked coins are used to validate transactions and secure the network. Staking rewards are offered to incentivize users to lock up their coins.
The Annual Staking Reward is a variable rate that is currently around 10 to 12%. The longer you stake the higher the reward.
To stake METAL, users can either become a validator and run a node or delegate their stake to an existing validator node.
Validators are responsible for validating transactions on the network and helping to secure the blockchain. They are rewarded for their efforts in proportion to their total stake.
Delegators are users who want to participate in staking but do not want to run their own validator node. They can delegate their staked tokens to an existing validator, who will take care of the validation process on their behalf. Delegators are still rewarded for their support, but they do not need to be as active as validators.
To become a validator on the Metal Blockchain, users must stake a minimum of 2,000 METAL.
The minimum staking period is 2 weeks, and the maximum is 52 weeks for both validators and delegators.
To ensure the security and integrity of the Metal blockchain, validators are incentivized to stay online and operate correctly through proof-of-uptime and proof-of-correctness mechanisms, which were first introduced in the Avalanche protocol. This helps ensure that the network is always secure and running smoothly.
Validating other Subnets
Subnets require validators, and each validator must have a minimum of 2000 METAL. Other Subnets can use METAL as their native token as well.
