A blockchain is a database that is maintained by many computers at the same time, none of which trust each other, yet all of which agree on the same history. That agreement is called consensus, and it is the core problem that blockchains solve.
Traditional databases are controlled by a single operator (a bank, a company, a government). Changing a row requires trusting whoever runs the database. A blockchain replaces that trust with cryptographic proof and economic incentives: participants are rewarded for honest behavior and penalized for cheating.
Transactions are grouped into blocks. Each block contains a cryptographic hash of the block before it, forming a tamper-evident chain. Changing any historical transaction would invalidate every block that follows it, which an honest majority of the network would reject. This immutability is what lets developers build applications that self-execute (smart contracts) without needing to trust a third party to enforce the rules.
On an EVM blockchain like AERE, every participant has an account: a 20-byte address derived from a private key. The chain stores the current state of every account (its balance, any stored contract code, internal storage). Every transaction updates that state. The result is a shared world-computer: programs deployed on the chain run deterministically on every node.
AERE Network is an independent Layer 1 blockchain, it has its own validators, its own transaction history, and its own native token (AERE). It is not a rollup or a sidechain of Ethereum. The "EVM" part means it is fully compatible with the Ethereum Virtual Machine: Solidity contracts, MetaMask, Ethers.js, Hardhat, and Foundry all work on AERE without modification.
| Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
| Chain name | AERE Network |
| Chain ID | 2800 (hex: 0xAF0) |
| Native token | AERE (18 decimals) |
| Consensus | QBFT (Hyperledger Besu) |
| Block time | ~1 second |
| HTTP RPC | https://rpc.aere.network |
| Block explorer | https://explorer.aere.network |
The Chain ID is the number that prevents replay attacks between networks: a signed transaction on AERE cannot be replayed on Ethereum mainnet or any other chain because the Chain ID is baked into the signature. Always confirm chain ID 2800 is set correctly in your wallet and scripts.
AERE uses QBFT (Quorum Byzantine Fault Tolerant), a proof-of-authority consensus algorithm implemented in Hyperledger Besu. It is derived from the PBFT family of consensus algorithms, which have been studied since the 1990s and are known for strong safety guarantees.
On Proof-of-Work chains (Bitcoin, pre-merge Ethereum), transactions are considered "safe" only after several blocks build on top of them, because a longer competing chain could theoretically appear. This is probabilistic finality: you can never be 100% certain a transaction is permanent.
QBFT provides instant finality. The moment a block is committed by the validator set, it is mathematically final. Your transaction is settled in ~1 second, with no waiting for confirmations. This is critical for payment applications, exchanges, and any system where finality latency matters.
QBFT tolerates up to ⌊(n-1)/3⌋ faulty or malicious validators. With 10 validators, for example, the network stays safe even if 3 validators are offline or actively misbehaving. The remaining honest majority will continue to produce and finalize blocks correctly.
AERE is the native currency of AERE Network. It plays three distinct roles:
Every transaction on the network consumes a small amount of AERE as a fee paid to validators. Gas fees on AERE are extremely low, fractions of a cent for a standard transfer, making micro-transactions and high-frequency dApp usage practical. Unlike networks with volatile gas prices, AERE's QBFT architecture keeps fees stable.
AERE holders can lock their tokens in the AereStaking contract to earn staking rewards. The base rate is 8% APY. Staked tokens also confer voting power in the DAO governance system (covered in the Tokenomics course).
The AereGovernanceStaked contract lets stakers propose and vote on protocol changes, fee parameters, validator set updates, treasury spending, and smart contract upgrades. Governance power is proportional to your staked balance at the time a proposal's snapshot is taken.
The total maximum supply is 2,800,000,000 AERE (2.8 billion). Tokens are not mined through energy expenditure; they are minted according to the allocation schedule defined at genesis and distributed via staking rewards from the Mining Reserve. This design keeps supply growth predictable and transparent.
MetaMask is the most widely used browser wallet for EVM chains. Adding AERE is a one-time setup that takes about 60 seconds.
Visit aere.network/addnetwork.html and click the button. MetaMask will display a confirmation dialog, approve it and AERE Network is ready to use.
Network name: AERE Network RPC URL: https://rpc.aere.network Chain ID: 2800 Currency symbol: AERE Block explorer: https://explorer.aere.network
If you are building a dApp, you can prompt users to add the network from within your UI:
await window.ethereum.request({
method: 'wallet_addEthereumChain',
params: [{
chainId: '0xAF0', // 2800 in hex
chainName: 'AERE Network',
rpcUrls: ['https://rpc.aere.network'],
nativeCurrency: { name: 'AERE', symbol: 'AERE', decimals: 18 },
blockExplorerUrls: ['https://explorer.aere.network'],
}]
});