TRON (TRX): how it works, supply and reviews
In short
- Type
- Layer-1 blockchain
- Maximum supply
- No fixed maximum: new TRX is minted as block and voter rewards, while fees are burned
- Risks and caveats
- Block production and parameter changes rest with 27 elected Super Representatives; the committee can change rewards, fees and other network parameters.
- Checked
- 28 October 2026
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On-chain stablecoin data
- Organic stablecoin settlement, 30 days (2 October 2026 – 31 October 2026)
- US$527.64 bn in 44.0 million transfers; the scanner classes 29.0% of raw volume as inorganic (round trips, bot churn) and leaves it out
- Issuer freezes on this network
- 528 issuer acts in 30 days; 8,164 addresses frozen now (USD1, USDT); balances last observed in them: US$3.84 bn
On-chain measurement by Stablecoin Scanner (ACHIVX), not a reserve or solvency claim. As of 31 October 2026. The scanner notes: every row is something the issuer did; it says nothing about who the address belongs to or why. scanner page ↗
Key facts
- Ticker
- TRX
- Network
- own blockchain
- Official site
- tron.network
- Source code
- github.com/tronprotocol/java-tron
Data: CoinGecko (trading activity) and CoinPaprika (links), 2026-10-27. Only projects that still trade with meaningful volume are listed.
What is TRON
TRON is an open-source layer-1 blockchain that uses Delegated Proof of Stake, with 27 elected Super Representatives producing blocks. It runs EVM-compatible smart contracts and is widely used for stablecoin transfers, notably TRC-20 USDT. TRX is the network's native token.
Network and consensus
| Parameter | Details |
|---|---|
| Type | Layer-1 blockchain |
| Consensus | Delegated Proof of Stake: 27 Super Representatives elected by stakers' votes take turns producing blocks |
| Block time | 3 seconds; blocks become irreversible after at least 19 active SRs build on them, typically in about 1 minute |
| Launched | Mainnet launched on 31 May 2018 |
| Smart contracts | TRON Virtual Machine (TVM), largely compatible with the Ethereum Virtual Machine |
| Programming language | Solidity for smart contracts; node software java-tron |
Supply and issuance
| Parameter | Details |
|---|---|
| Maximum supply | No fixed maximum: new TRX is minted as block and voter rewards, while fees are burned |
| Issuance | 8 TRX per block to the producing SR plus 128 TRX per block shared by the top 127 SRs and their voters; both adjustable by proposal |
| Fee burn | TRX paid for Bandwidth and Energy when resources run short is burned and removed from circulation |
| Initial distribution | 100 billion TRX issued in the genesis block; 1 billion TRX burned on Independence Day (25 June 2018) |
| Staking rewards | Voters receive a share of block and voter rewards in proportion to their votes, after the SR's brokerage (default 20%) |
On 28 October 2026: 95,015,805,225 TRX in circulation, 95,016,584,293 TRX in total (source: TRONSCAN API (funds endpoint)).
What TRX is used for
- Paying transaction fees when Bandwidth or Energy runs short (the TRX is burned).
- Staking to obtain Bandwidth, Energy and TRON Power.
- Voting for Super Representatives with TRON Power and earning a share of voter rewards.
- Paying Energy to deploy and call smart contracts; resources can be delegated to other accounts.
Who develops and governs TRON
- Founders
- Justin Sun
- Governance
- On-chain committee of the 27 active Super Representatives votes on proposals that change network parameters
- Foundation
- TRON Foundation established in Singapore in July 2017; TRON moved to TRON DAO in December 2021
- Company
- The tron.network website is published by Tron Network Ltd.
- Open source
- Node software java-tron, released under the LGPLv3 licence
History
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| March 2014 | TRON was established. |
| July 2017 | TRON Foundation established in Singapore. |
| 31 May 2018 | TRON mainnet launched. |
| 30 August 2018 | TRON Virtual Machine (TVM) launched. |
| 4 March 2019 | Tether partnered with TRON to issue TRC-20 USDT. |
| December 2021 | TRON transitioned to TRON DAO. |
| 7 April 2023 | Stake 2.0 went live, changing how staking provides Energy, Bandwidth and TRON Power. |
Security and audits
- ChainSecurity published a limited review of the java-tron node software dated 26 August 2024, covering the TVM, consensus and peer-to-peer code.
- The review states its three most significant findings were fixed; some other risks were accepted on the assumption that Super Representatives act economically.
- TRON runs a bug bounty programme for protocol vulnerabilities on HackerOne.
Risks and caveats
- Block production and parameter changes rest with 27 elected Super Representatives; the committee can change rewards, fees and other network parameters.
- TRX has no fixed maximum supply; whether supply grows or shrinks depends on the balance between new rewards and burned fees.
- The 2024 node-software review notes that some risks were accepted on the assumption that Super Representatives act economically.
Official links
- Website: tron.network
- Docs: developers.tron.network
- Whitepaper: tron.network/static/doc/white_paper_v_2_0.pdf
- Source code: github.com/tronprotocol
Questions and answers
What is TRON (TRX)?
TRON is an open-source layer-1 blockchain using Delegated Proof of Stake and EVM-compatible smart contracts. TRX is its native token, used for fees, staking and voting.
Who created TRON?
TRON was founded by Justin Sun. The TRON Foundation was set up in Singapore in July 2017, and the project moved to TRON DAO in December 2021.
What is the maximum supply of TRX?
There is no fixed maximum. TRX is minted as block and voter rewards and burned as fees; the TRONSCAN API showed about 95.0 billion TRX on 28 October 2026.
How does TRON reach consensus?
TRX holders stake and vote for 27 Super Representatives, who take turns producing a block every 3 seconds. A block is final once at least 19 active SRs have built on it, usually in about a minute.
Sources
- CoinGecko — TRON
- CoinPaprika — TRON
- TRON Developer Hub — What is TRON
- TRON Developer Hub — Tokenomics
- TRON Developer Hub — Consensus and DPoS
- TRON Developer Hub — Committee & proposals
- TRON Developer Hub — TRON vs Ethereum
- TRON — About TRON (milestones)
- TRON — home page
- ChainSecurity — Limited Review of Java-Tron (2024)
- java-tron — README
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