aelf (ELF): how it works, supply and reviews
In short
- Type
- Layer-1 blockchain: one MainChain connected to multiple dAppChains.
- Maximum supply
- 1,000,000,000 ELF, hard-capped; the docs say ELF is not inflationary.
- Risks and caveats
- The August 2026 security incident review is not final; aelf says some conclusions may change as forensic reviews continue.
- Checked
- 1 November 2026
Visitor ratings: do you like aelf?
Key facts
- Ticker
- ELF
- Official site
- aelf.com
Key facts checked on 1 November 2026 against official sources.
What is aelf
aelf is a layer-1 blockchain with a MainChain and multiple dAppChains, written in C#. Its native token ELF pays transaction fees and is staked to elect block producers. The project was founded in 2017 and its global hub is in Singapore.
Network and consensus
| Parameter | Details |
|---|---|
| Type | Layer-1 blockchain: one MainChain connected to multiple dAppChains. |
| Consensus | AEDPoS (aelf Delegated Proof of Stake). |
| Block producers | 21 block producers and 4 candidate nodes, per the docs. |
| Launched | Testnet in 2018, mainnet in 2020. |
| Programming language | C#. |
| Open source | The AElf GitHub repository contains the code that runs an aelf node. |
| Explorer status | New MainChain and dAppChain blocks a few seconds old on 1 November 2026. |
Supply and issuance
| Parameter | Details |
|---|---|
| Maximum supply | 1,000,000,000 ELF, hard-capped; the docs say ELF is not inflationary. |
What ELF is used for
- Transaction fees on the aelf blockchain.
- Block index fees paid by developers for cross-chain indexing of dAppChains.
- Deposit to stand for election as a block producer.
- Voting for block producers and candidate nodes.
Who develops and governs aelf
- Governance
- Parliament model: holders vote for block producers and candidate nodes, and block producers submit proposals to the parliament.
- Founders
- Co-founded in 2017 by Auric, its CEO.
- Headquarters
- Registered office at Marina Bay Financial Centre, Singapore.
- Developer
- aelf states it has over 100 employees.
History
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| 10 December 2017 | aelf's plans are presented to investors at a CoinDesk conference. |
| 2018 | The aelf testnet launches. |
| 2020 | The aelf mainnet launches. |
| 12 February 2026 | The ETransfer cross-chain service is discontinued; eBridge remains the supported cross-chain tool. |
| 18 August 2026 | After detecting an unauthorised smart contract, aelf instructs all block producer nodes to pause the network. |
| 14 September 2026 | Public full-node access and several ecosystem services are restored after the network pause. |
Security and audits
- aelf publishes audit reports from SlowMist and Trail of Bits in its GitHub audit repository.
- In August 2026, according to aelf, an unauthorised smart contract could deliver encoded .NET assemblies and instructions into the node contract-execution path.
- aelf states it found no evidence that ordinary users' assets were transferred or their wallet keys exposed, as of 26 August 2026.
- Block production stopped for about one week during the pause; no network staking rewards were generated in that period.
Security incidents
| Date | What happened | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 18 August 2026 | Exploit: aelf detected malicious smart-contract activity affecting the AELF MainChain and the tDVV dAppChain and moved the network into a controlled recovery process; the investigation was still open on 26 August 2026. Funds returned: not stated | blog.aelf.com |
| 18 August 2026 | Network halt: All aelf block producer nodes were instructed to pause operations, a pause aelf described as its first emergency maintenance pause since mainnet launch. | blog.aelf.com |
Official ELF contracts
| Network | Contract address |
|---|---|
| Ethereum | 0xbf2179859fc6d5bee9bf9158632dc51678a4100e |
ELF is native on the aelf MainChain (ELF_JRmBduh4nXWi1aXgdUsj5gJrzeZb2LxmrAbf7W99faZSvoAaE_AELF) and dAppChain; the Ethereum contract is a bridged ERC-20 per the docs.
Risks and caveats
- The August 2026 security incident review is not final; aelf says some conclusions may change as forensic reviews continue.
- Exchange deposits and withdrawals resumed unevenly after the network pause; availability differs by exchange.
- Block production depends on a small set of elected block producers (21 per the docs).
Official links
- Website: aelf.com
- Docs: docs.aelf.com
- Whitepaper: docs.aelf.com/resources/whitepaper-2
- Source code: github.com/AElfProject/AElf
- Block explorer: aelfscan.io
- Blog: blog.aelf.com
- Governance forum: forum.aelf.com
Questions and answers
What is aelf?
aelf is a layer-1 blockchain with a MainChain and multiple dAppChains, written in C#, founded in 2017 with its hub in Singapore.
What is the maximum supply of ELF?
1,000,000,000 ELF, hard-capped according to the aelf docs.
How does aelf reach consensus?
It uses AEDPoS (aelf Delegated Proof of Stake), with 21 block producers and 4 candidate nodes according to the docs.
Was aelf hacked?
In August 2026 an unauthorised smart contract attacked the node execution path and the network was paused for about a week. As of 26 August 2026 aelf said it had found no evidence that ordinary users' assets were moved; the final review was still pending.
Sources
- aelf - Home
- aelf Docs - Introduction
- aelf Docs - ELF token
- aelf Docs - Governance
- aelf Docs - Technical & Security
- GitHub - AElfProject/AElf
- GitHub - aelf audit reports
- aelf Blog - Temporary Network Pause (18 August 2026)
- aelf Blog - Security Incident Response Progress Update (26 August 2026)
- aelf Blog - Recovery Update (14 September 2026)
- aelf Blog - ETransfer Service Sunset (10 February 2026)
- aelfscan - explorer
More in this section
- Telcoin (TEL)
- Bonk (BONK)
- I/O Coin (IOC)
- Dimecoin (DIME)
- FC Barcelona Fan Token (BAR)
- Quantstamp (QSP)
- All Crypto projects →
How voting works
Votes are anonymous and carry no text. Each device has one vote per item; press the same button again to remove it. Cloudflare Turnstile checks that a person is voting. We keep a random device ID in a cookie and a salted hash of the IP address to limit abuse — no names, no accounts. Votes are visitors’ opinions, not investment advice.
Page updated: