Every token system makes a set of supply decisions at launch, and those decisions have long-term consequences for everyone who holds, stakes, or builds with the token. This article documents AERE's supply structure honestly: the hard cap, the six allocation wallets, what each one is for, and how staking rewards fit within the cap rather than expanding it.
The total supply of AERE is fixed at 2,800,000,000, two billion eight hundred million, set in the genesis block and enforced at the protocol level. The AERE token contract has no mint function accessible after genesis. There is no central authority that can create additional tokens, and no governance proposal can change this without a hard fork of the chain itself.
The 2.8 billion figure is what the whitepaper specifies. When the initial genesis configuration was found to diverge from this number, the chain was relaunched (Genesis v2, May 7 2026) to correct it before any public activity. The chain running today has exactly 2,800,000,000 AERE in existence.
The entire 2.8 billion supply is distributed across six named wallets at genesis, each serving a distinct purpose:
| Wallet | Amount | Share | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mining Reserve | 1,400,000,000 | 50% | Staking rewards, validator incentives, long-term ecosystem mining program |
| Ecosystem Fund | 560,000,000 | 20% | Grants, liquidity incentives, partnerships, exchange listings |
| Team | 420,000,000 | 15% | Core team compensation, subject to vesting schedule |
| Foundation | 180,000,000 | 6.43% | Operational costs, legal, infrastructure, governance reserve |
| Airdrop | 140,000,000 | 5% | Community distribution, early adopter rewards, testnet participants |
| Strategic Investor | 100,000,000 | 3.57% | Early capital raise, strategic partnership allocations |
The largest single allocation, half the total supply, sits in the Mining Reserve. This is the source for every staking reward paid out over the life of the network. Instead of minting new tokens as staking rewards (which would dilute existing holders), AERE distributes from a pre-allocated pool. This means:
At the base staking APY of 8%, the Mining Reserve sustains rewards for a substantial number of years depending on total staked participation. Higher participation rates draw down the reserve faster; lower participation rates extend it.
The second-largest allocation, at 560 million AERE (20%), funds the activities that grow the network: the developer grants program, liquidity incentives for the native AMM, potential exchange listings, and formal partnerships. This wallet is controlled by the Foundation with planned transition to DAO governance.
The Team allocation (420 million, 15%) is subject to a vesting schedule to align long-term incentives. Core contributors cannot dump their entire allocation at once. The Foundation allocation (180 million, 6.43%) covers operating costs: server infrastructure, legal fees, audits, and the governance reserve needed to respond to unforeseen protocol events.
At genesis, 2.8 billion AERE exists. The "circulating supply", tokens actually in use by the market, is a subset of that. Tokens sitting in the Mining Reserve are not in circulation until they are paid out as staking rewards. Team tokens subject to vesting are not in circulation until vested. Airdrop tokens are not in circulation until claimed.
Total supply and circulating supply converge over time as rewards are paid out and vesting schedules complete. The hard cap ensures they never exceed 2.8 billion in sum.
Any AERE holder can earn from the Mining Reserve by staking through the staking interface. The base APY is 8%, with higher rates for longer lock commitments. For a full explanation of how delegated staking works, see How AERE Validators Work.
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