Aeternity
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2016
- HeadquartersVaduz, Liechtenstein
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingSoftware
Aeternity firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Aeternity
- Legal name
- Aeternity Foundation
- Website
- https://aeternity.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2016
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Aeternity industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Blockchain Infrastructure
- NAICS
- Computing Infrastructure Providers, Data Processing, Web Hosting, and Related Services (518210), Securities and Commodity Exchanges (523210)
- SIC
- Security & Commodity Brokers, Dealers, Exchanges & Services (6200), Finance Services (6199)
- akta.pro primary industry
- MEV, Sequencing & Transaction Supply Chain (builders, searchers, PBS, auctions) (FSAPAAAG)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Crypto Payments & Stablecoin Settlement Platforms (BPAMAFAL), Digital Asset/Crypto Trade Execution Platforms (FSAFANAO)
Keywords
Where Aeternity is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Vaduz
- HQ country
- Liechtenstein
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Aeternity business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Operations
Revenue model
- Network Transaction Fees: Every on-chain transaction requires a very small amount of Æ coin as fee (currently a fraction of a cent). Smart contract executions in State Channels do not incur fees. FATE VM's efficiency means less gas is needed overall.
- Æ Coin Ecosystem: The native Æ coin powers everything on æternity. The Aeternity Foundation receives a portion of mining rewards (10% was redirected to mining participation in 2024). Revenue derives from coin appreciation and ecosystem growth.
- Developer Tools & Services: AEproject framework, Sophia compiler, æStudio IDE, and other developer tools. While open-source, these create ecosystem lock-in and drive adoption of the underlying blockchain.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | On-chain transactions |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels6 records
Marketing channels8 records
Aeternity product offering
Product offeringCore offering
æternity operates a public Layer-1 blockchain protocol that enables high-speed transactions, purely functional smart contracts, and decentralized application (æpp) development. Its stack includes the Sophia smart contract language, the FATE virtual machine, native on-chain oracles, advanced State Channels, AENS human-readable naming, and Hyperchains sidechains anchored to Bitcoin's proof-of-work. The platform also distributes consumer-facing products such as the Superhero Wallet and Superhero DEX plus an AE cryptocurrency that is traded on multiple exchanges.
Product overview
æternity is a blockchain platform featuring a modular architecture built around its core blockchain protocol. The platform's core components include the æternity Blockchain itself, the Sophia smart contract language, and the FATE VM virtual machine. Key features include Hyperchains for scalability, State Channels for off-chain transactions, AENS for human-readable naming, and built-in Oracles for real-world data integration. The ecosystem includes developer tools (JavaScript SDK, AEproject, Æ Studio IDE, æREPL, CLI tools), infrastructure (Node API, Middleware, HTTP Compiler, Testnet/Faucet), and user-facing products (Superhero Wallet, Superhero DEX). Cross-chain functionality is provided via the AE-ETH Bridge with Ethereum and MetaMask Snap integration.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Superhero Wallet: A decentralized wallet for storing and withdrawing AE coins and AEX-9 tokens, enabling feeless transactions and participation in ecosystem voting.
- Superhero DEX
- Sophia
- FATE VM
- Hyperchains
- AENS
- AEproject
- Æ Studio
Products and services
- æternity Blockchain Public Layer-1 blockchain protocol written in Erlang, supporting natively built-in oracles, State Channels, and a naming system (AENS). Provides fault-tolerant base infrastructure for decentralized applications (æpps) including DeFi, governance, NFT, and prediction-market use cases. Designed for billions of transactions and consumed by both developers and end-user applications.
- Hyperchains Consensus upgrade that lets the mainnet scale further on-chain and allows anyone to launch private or public æternity-style sidechains without permission. The sidechains piggyback on Bitcoin's proof-of-work to generate secure, tamper-proof randomness. Targeted at enterprise consortium and high-throughput dApp needs.
- AE-ETH Bridge Trustless cross-chain bridge enabling seamless asset transfers (e.g., USDT, ETH) between the æternity blockchain and the Ethereum network, built with Acurast using secure enclaves. Designed for users and developers wanting Ethereum-asset liquidity with æternity's lower transaction costs.
- Superhero Wallet Multi-platform decentralized wallet for storing, sending and receiving AE coins and AEX-9 tokens, enabling feeless in-app transfers, AENS name registration, community voting, and direct access to the Superhero DEX. Aimed at retail crypto users and DeFi participants.
- Superhero DEX Decentralized exchange built on the æternity blockchain with virtually no transaction fees and no KYC requirement. Non-custodial swapping and liquidity provisioning against AE and AEX-9 token pairs. Targeted at retail DeFi users seeking low-cost, permissionless token trading.
- æternity Explorer (æScan) Official blockchain explorer for both mainnet and testnet, enabling users to search and inspect transactions, blocks, addresses, AENS names, and state-channel activity on the æternity network. Targets both general users verifying on-chain data and analytics integrations such as Chainspect.
- JavaScript / TypeScript SDK Official JavaScript/TypeScript SDK for building æpps on the æternity blockchain. Provides utilities for Sophia contract compilation and testing, local environment setup, account/transaction management, oracle and name operations, and integration with the ChainAPI.
- AEproject Framework for setting up, developing and testing Sophia smart contracts on æternity. Provides commands for local environment setup, contract compilation, deployment, and end-to-end testing with built-in starter templates. Distributed as an npm package to lower the barrier for new developers.
- æStudio User-friendly web IDE for writing Sophia smart contracts. Formerly known as Fire Editor, it provides a browser-native interface for authoring, testing, and deploying æternity smart contracts.
- Node API (Chain API) Open REST API (OpenAPI 3) for interacting directly with æternity nodes on mainnet and testnet. Enables accounts, transactions, contract calls, oracle queries, name lookups, and chain queries for any HTTP-capable client or backend.
- Testnet & Faucet Public æternity testnet plus a free token faucet that allows developers to obtain test AE for experimenting with smart contracts, dApps, and integrations without real-funds risk.
- Æ Coin Native cryptocurrency of the æternity blockchain, used to pay transaction fees (a fraction of a cent per on-chain operation), power smart-contract execution, secure the network through mining, and participate in protocol governance votes. Tradable on multiple centralized exchanges and as wrapped WAE on Uniswap.
Companies that use Aeternity
Customer profileNamed customers10 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Aeternity technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- Yes
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration5 records
Feature7 records
Aeternity partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Blockchain ReplycoreLeading consultancy within the Reply Group. Strategic collaboration to explore integrating æternity's blockchain technology for enterprises and governments. Focus on custom Hyperchains deployment and enterprise blockchain solutions.
- Own.App and #CREATE FundminorCreator economy partnership to revolutionize content creation with Web3. Enables creators to monetize content through decentralized platforms built on æternity.
- BitcoinOScoreIntegration brings DeFi, scalability, and cost-effectiveness to Bitcoin users while unlocking Bitcoin's vast liquidity to æternity ecosystem. æternity Hyperchains connect to BitcoinOS for enhanced security and interoperability.
- AcurastcoreSwiss-based blockchain interoperability leader. Partnership created the AE-ETH cross-chain bridge using Acurast's secure enclaves for verifiable observation of state changes. Enables seamless asset transfers between æternity and Ethereum with oracle integration for real-time price feeds.
- NucleusDAOminorEnhances decentralized governance within æternity ecosystem through advanced governance mechanisms. Empowers community members to ensure platform development aligns with user needs.
- CVPadminorLaunchpad for new projects within æternity ecosystem. Streamlines project initiation and funding processes, providing structured platform for entrepreneurs to showcase ideas and secure backing.
- ConsenSys / MetaMaskcoreConsenSys provided grant for MetaMask Snap integration audit. Integration will enable 30M+ MetaMask users to access æternity seamlessly within familiar interface, lowering entry barriers significantly.
- TUM VentureLabsminorTechnical University of Munich blockchain venture arm. Co-sponsor of æternity HackChallenges and Uni Hack hackathons. Connects æternity with academic blockchain innovation ecosystem.
Scale indicators12 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Aeternity competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Ethereum: The dominant smart-contract L1 against which Aeternity directly competes on developer mindshare and dApp deployments. Ethereum's EVM and Solidity are the explicit benchmarks that FATE VM and Sophia differentiate against.
Direct peers
- Solana: High-throughput L1 with its own VM, smart contract language (Rust-based), and emphasis on low-cost, high-speed transactions — directly comparable to Aeternity's FATE + State Channels scaling story for DeFi and high-frequency use cases.
- Cardano: Academic, formally-verified smart contract platform with a custom language (Plutus/Haskell family). Closely comparable to Aeternity in its positioning around formal methods and a typed functional language for smart contracts.
- Tezos: PoS L1 with formal verification focus, on-chain governance, and its own smart contract language (Michelson). Mirrors Aeternity's combination of formal verification, governance, and custom chain architecture.
- NEAR Protocol: Scalable L1 with sharding and account-based model plus developer-friendly tooling. Comparable as a non-EVM L1 targeting scalable smart contracts and on-chain UX improvements similar to Aeternity's positioning.
- Internet Computer (DFINITY): Alternative L1 with its own VM (WebAssembly-based), state-of-the-art scaling claims, and Web3-anchored GTM. Comparable to Aeternity's differentiation story away from EVM with a custom execution environment.
- Polkadot: Multi-chain framework with parachains and a custom execution environment, comparable to Aeternity's Hyperchains sidechain vision. Both ecosystems push customizable, interoperable chain architectures.
- Algorand: Permissionless L1 with its own smart contract language (PyTeal/Reach) and a focus on security plus low fees. Comparable to Aeternity's emphasis on novel consensus, formal verification, and UX-friendly naming.
Emerging players
- Elrond / MultiversX: Sharded L1 with adaptive state and a custom VM targeting high throughput and low fees — comparable in scaling claims, custom execution environment, and emerging-player status relative to ETH/SOL.
- Fantom: DAG-based L1 with EVM compatibility and low-fee positioning. Comparable as a smart-contract L1 with a custom consensus layer targeting the same developer base Aeternity courts.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Aeternity social profiles
Digital presenceAeternity financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Aeternity leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
Aeternity funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds2 records
Investors2 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Aeternity M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments1 record
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Aeternity
What does Aeternity do?
æternity operates a public Layer-1 blockchain protocol that enables high-speed transactions, purely functional smart contracts, and decentralized application (æpp) development. Its stack includes the Sophia smart contract language, the FATE virtual machine, native on-chain oracles, advanced State Channels, AENS human-readable naming, and Hyperchains sidechains anchored to Bitcoin's proof-of-work. The platform also distributes consumer-facing products such as the Superhero Wallet and Superhero DEX plus an AE cryptocurrency that is traded on multiple exchanges.
Is Aeternity a public or private company?
Aeternity is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Aeternity founded?
Aeternity was founded in 2016. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Aeternity based?
Aeternity is headquartered in Vaduz, Liechtenstein, in the Europe region.
How does Aeternity make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Network Transaction Fees are the primary driver. The others are Æ Coin Ecosystem and developer Tools & Services.
Who are Aeternity's main competitors?
Ethereum is listed as a broad incumbent. Direct peers are Solana, Cardano, Tezos, NEAR Protocol, Internet Computer (DFINITY), Polkadot and Algorand. Emerging players are Elrond / MultiversX and Fantom.
Does Aeternity have an API?
Yes. Aeternity provides multiple APIs including Node API (OAS3) for blockchain interactions available at mainnet and testnet endpoints, Middleware API for status and blockchain indexing, and HTTP Compiler API for Sophia smart contract compilation. The JavaScript SDK enables developers to interact with the æternity blockchain for building æpps, managing accounts, sending transactions, and working with oracles or names. Developer documentation is at docs.aeternity.com.
What industry is Aeternity in?
Aeternity's product category is Blockchain Infrastructure. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSAPAAAG, MEV, Sequencing & Transaction Supply Chain (builders, searchers, PBS, auctions), with a secondary code of BPAMAFAL, Crypto Payments & Stablecoin Settlement Platforms. Its NAICS code is 518210 and its SIC code is 6200.