Conflux

About Conflux (CFX)

What Is Conflux (CFX)?

Conflux is a public Layer 1 blockchain built around a Tree-Graph ledger and a hybrid consensus pairing proof of work with a proof-of-stake finality chain. It runs two logically separate environments on one ledger: Core Space, the original network with contract sponsorship and storage collateral, and eSpace, a fully EVM-compatible environment where Ethereum contracts and tooling work unchanged. CFX is the native token, used for gas, staking, storage collateral and governance.

Official resources:

• Website: https://confluxnetwork.org/
• Documentation: https://doc.confluxnetwork.org/
• Source code: https://github.com/Conflux-Chain
• Research paper: https://arxiv.org/abs/1805.03870
• Core Space explorer: https://confluxscan.org/
• eSpace explorer: https://evm.confluxscan.org/

Who Founded Conflux? (History)

Conflux grew out of academic research on scaling Nakamoto consensus. The founding paper, Scaling Nakamoto Consensus to Thousands of Transactions per Second, was authored by Chenxing Li, Peilun Li, Dong Zhou, Wei Xu, Fan Long and Andrew Chi-Chih Yao, and remains the clearest primary description of the design. The network is maintained by the Conflux Foundation with the founding team, described in the documentation as the direct builders, and is widely identified as a China-based project. The chain has shipped a long sequence of hard forks, most recently v3.0 and v3.1.

How Conflux Works

Each block carries one parent edge plus reference edges to other recent blocks, forming a directed acyclic graph with a tree embedded in it. The GHAST rule selects a pivot chain based on the mining power working on a subtree rather than a single chain. The pivot chain and reference edges then place all blocks into a total order, and transactions execute in that order. Forked blocks are incorporated rather than discarded, so they add to both security and throughput. The documentation cites up to 3,000 transactions per second with confirmation inside a minute.

A separate proof-of-stake chain sits on top of the mining layer purely to provide finality, which the documentation frames as mitigating the risk of a 51 percent attack.

Key Ecosystem Components

• Core Space, with contract sponsorship that lets a project pay gas for its users, so a wallet with no balance can still transact.
• eSpace, EVM equivalent, where transactions are packed into blocks at heights divisible by five.
• CrossSpaceCall, which moves CFX and calls between the spaces atomically, with each Core Space account holding a mirror address in eSpace.

CFX Token Utility

CFX pays gas, is staked to earn interest and to run or delegate to validators, and is locked as storage collateral, which is how Core Space prices persistent state instead of charging a one-off fee. It also carries governance weight: voting power equals quarters locked multiplied by tokens multiplied by 0.25, so a one-year lock gives one vote per CFX and a single quarter gives 0.25. Locked tokens still earn interest, but the lock cannot be shortened.

What Makes Conflux Unique?

The Tree-Graph is a real architectural difference, not a parameter tweak. Most proof-of-work chains discard concurrent blocks; Conflux orders and uses them. The dual-space design is also unusual, keeping native features like sponsorship and storage collateral while offering an ordinary EVM surface next door.

How Conflux Differs from Similar Projects

Neo and Ontology are also described as Asia-focused smart contract platforms, but use BFT-style consensus rather than a DAG over proof of work. TRON and most modern layer 1s dropped mining entirely, while Conflux keeps it and adds proof of stake only for finality. Unlike an Ethereum Layer 2, Conflux is sovereign, with its own security budget.

Use Cases of Conflux

• Ethereum-compatible DeFi and NFT applications on eSpace.
• Consumer apps using sponsorship so users need no gas.
• Staking and on-chain governance for CFX holders.

How Conflux Is Secured

Mining provides base security and block production, while the proof-of-stake chain adds finality that makes deep reorganisations impractical. Validators face penalties for malicious behaviour, changed in v3.0 from permanent forfeiture of stake to a six-month lock. Protocol changes are proposed as CIPs and ratified by CFX voting.

Risks and Considerations

Running both proof of work and proof of stake means the chain carries the cost of mining and the complexity of two consensus systems. The dual-space model, mirror addresses and cross-space calls add surface area where mistakes are possible. Activity and liquidity are lower than on the largest smart contract platforms, and a project closely identified with one region carries regional regulatory exposure.

Why Conflux Matters

Conflux is one of the few production networks that took an academic scaling result, a DAG ordering rule for Nakamoto consensus, and shipped it as a live chain. The Tree-Graph and the sponsorship model are real contributions to how block ordering and gas abstraction can work in practice.

Where Can You Buy Conflux (CFX)?

CFX is listed on numerous centralised exchanges and trades on decentralised exchanges in its own ecosystem. Availability varies by region and changes over time, so check the live market data on this page before trading.

Storage Options After Purchase

Core Space uses its own address format, so a Conflux-aware wallet such as Fluent suits Core Space holdings, staking and governance. eSpace uses standard Ethereum addresses, so MetaMask and similar wallets work there. Confirm which space an address belongs to before sending.

Related Coins

• Neo (NEO)
• VeChain (VET)
• Ontology (ONT)
• TRON (TRX)