[Crypto projects](https://revain.org/projects/) › Nervos Network

# Nervos Network (CKB): how it works, supply and reviews

## In short

- **Type**: Public, permissionless layer-1 blockchain (the base layer of Nervos Network)
- **Issuance**: Base issuance of 33.6 billion CKB in total to miners, plus a fixed secondary issuance of 1.344 billion CKB per year
- **Risks and caveats**: CKB has no hard cap: secondary issuance of 1.344 billion CKB a year dilutes holders who do not lock their CKB in the NervosDAO.
- **Checked**: 28 October 2026

## Key facts

- **Ticker**: CKB
- **Network**: own blockchain
- **Official site**: [nervos.org](https://www.nervos.org/)
- **Source code**: [github.com/nervosnetwork](https://github.com/nervosnetwork)

Data: CoinGecko (trading activity) and CoinPaprika (links), 2026-10-27. Only projects that still trade with meaningful volume are listed.

## What is Nervos Network

Nervos Network's Common Knowledge Base (CKB) is a public, permissionless proof-of-work layer-1 blockchain built around the Cell Model and a RISC-V virtual machine (CKB-VM). Its native token, CKByte (CKB), is both a currency and a claim on on-chain storage: 1 CKB lets its holder occupy 1 byte of state.

## Network and consensus

| Parameter | Details |
|---|---|
| Type | Public, permissionless layer-1 blockchain (the base layer of Nervos Network) |
| Consensus | Proof of work using NC-Max, an improved Nakamoto consensus, with the Eaglesong mining algorithm |
| Launched | Mainnet (Lina) launched on 16 November 2019 |
| Smart contracts | Scripts run in CKB-VM, a virtual machine based on the RISC-V instruction set, under the Cell Model |
| Programming language | On-chain scripts mainly in Rust or JavaScript; node software open source under the MIT licence |

## Supply and issuance

| Parameter | Details |
|---|---|
| Issuance | Base issuance of 33.6 billion CKB in total to miners, plus a fixed secondary issuance of 1.344 billion CKB per year |
| Inflation | 1.344 billion CKB a year of secondary issuance, indefinitely; split between miners, NervosDAO depositors and a community-governed share by usage |
| Halving | Base issuance halves every 8,760 epochs (about 4 years); the first halving was on 19 November 2023 |
| Maximum supply | No hard cap because of secondary issuance; base issuance ends around 2103 |
| Staking rewards | CKB locked in the NervosDAO receives a share of secondary issuance, offsetting its dilution |

On 28 October 2026: 49,786,116,580 CKB in circulation, 50,647,243,873 CKB in total (source: [CKB Explorer API (explorer.nervos.org)](https://mainnet-api.explorer.nervos.org/api/v1/market_data/circulating_supply)).

## What CKB is used for

- Occupying on-chain storage: the CKB a user holds sets how much data they can store in Cells.
- Paying transaction fees to miners.
- Depositing in the NervosDAO to receive a share of secondary issuance.

## Who develops and governs Nervos Network

- **Foundation**: Nervos Foundation publishes the official documentation
- **Governance**: Protocol changes are proposed as public Nervos RFCs and activated through scheduled hard forks at a set epoch
- **Open source**: Yes, MIT licence

## History

| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| 16 November 2019 | CKB mainnet (Lina) launched with the genesis block. |
| 10 May 2022 | First hard fork, CKB Edition Mirana (2021), activated on mainnet, introducing CKB-VM v1. |
| 19 November 2023 | First halving of base issuance. |
| 1 July 2025 | Second hard fork, CKB Edition Meepo (2024), activated on mainnet, adding Spawn for direct cross-script calls. |

## Security and audits

- The consensus protocol, NC-Max, is described in a peer-reviewed NDSS paper and is designed to raise throughput while resisting selfish mining.
- CKB publishes a security policy for reporting vulnerabilities in its GitHub repository.

## Risks and caveats

- CKB has no hard cap: secondary issuance of 1.344 billion CKB a year dilutes holders who do not lock their CKB in the NervosDAO.
- Proof-of-work security depends on miners' rewards, which fall at each halving of base issuance.

## Official links

- Docs: [docs.nervos.org](https://docs.nervos.org/)
- Source code: [github.com/nervosnetwork/ckb](https://github.com/nervosnetwork/ckb)
- Whitepaper: [github.com/nervosnetwork/rfcs](https://github.com/nervosnetwork/rfcs)
- Website: [www.nervos.org](https://www.nervos.org/)
- Block explorer: [explorer.nervos.org](https://explorer.nervos.org/)

## Questions and answers

**What is Nervos Network (CKB)?**

Nervos CKB is a proof-of-work layer-1 blockchain using the Cell Model and a RISC-V virtual machine. Its token, CKByte, is a currency and a claim on on-chain storage.

**What is the maximum supply of CKB?**

There is no hard cap. Base issuance totals 33.6 billion CKB with halvings every four years, plus a permanent secondary issuance of 1.344 billion CKB per year.

**How does CKB reach consensus?**

Miners secure CKB with proof of work using NC-Max, an improved Nakamoto consensus, and the Eaglesong hash function.

**When did Nervos CKB launch?**

The mainnet launched on 16 November 2019; the first halving was on 19 November 2023.

## Sources

- [CoinGecko — Nervos Network](https://www.coingecko.com/en/coins/nervos-network)
- [CoinPaprika — Nervos Network](https://coinpaprika.com/coin/ckb-nervos-network/)
- [Nervos CKB Docs — How CKB Works](https://docs.nervos.org/docs/getting-started/how-ckb-works)
- [Nervos CKB Docs — Mining rewards](https://docs.nervos.org/docs/mining/rewards)
- [Nervos CKB Docs — Halving](https://docs.nervos.org/docs/mining/halving)
- [Nervos CKB Docs — Algorithm & difficulty](https://docs.nervos.org/docs/mining/algorithm-difficulty)
- [Nervos CKB Docs — CKB hard fork history](https://docs.nervos.org/docs/history-and-hard-forks/ckb-hard-fork-history)
- [Nervos RFC 0015 — Crypto-Economics of the Nervos CKB](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/nervosnetwork/rfcs/master/rfcs/0015-ckb-cryptoeconomics/0015-ckb-cryptoeconomics.md)
- [Nervos RFC 0020 — CKB Consensus Protocol](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/nervosnetwork/rfcs/master/rfcs/0020-ckb-consensus-protocol/0020-ckb-consensus-protocol.md)
- [nervosnetwork/ckb — README](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/nervosnetwork/ckb/develop/README.md)
- [CKB Explorer API — circulating supply](https://mainnet-api.explorer.nervos.org/api/v1/market_data/circulating_supply)
- [CKB Explorer API — total supply](https://mainnet-api.explorer.nervos.org/api/v1/market_data/total_supply)

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Page updated: 2026-10-31

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Source: https://revain.org/projects/nervos-network/