Axelar (AXL) is the native token and governance asset of the Axelar Network, a decentralized cross-chain communication protocol that enables secure interoperability between blockchains by providing a universal bridge for asset transfers, data messaging, and
smart contract calls across disparate ecosystems. Launched in 2022, Axelar acts as a "blockchain internet" layer that connects over 50 chains (including
Ethereum, Cosmos, Solana, Polkadot, and more) through a decentralized network of validators using threshold
cryptography and
proof-of-stake consensus. The AXL token powers staking for network security and rewards, governance voting in the Axelar DAO on protocol upgrades and treasury allocation, payment of cross-chain fees, and incentives for validators and relayers in a scalable, secure
interoperability infrastructure designed for multi-chain
DeFi,
NFTs, gaming, and
Web3 applications.
When Did Axelar Launch?
Axelar was founded in 2020 and launched its
mainnet and AXL token in September 2022 after successful testnets, community funding, and
validator onboarding. The network quickly expanded with major chain integrations in 2023, achieved significant milestones in 2024 including enhanced General Message Passing (GMP) capabilities and institutional adoption, and continued growth in 2025 with new chain connections, improved security features, and broader DeFi/gaming use cases, maintaining high transaction volume and ecosystem adoption by December 2025.
What Are the Key Features of Axelar?
Axelar features decentralized cross-chain communication with General Message Passing (GMP) for arbitrary data and smart contract calls, secure asset bridging without wrapped tokens, proof-of-stake consensus with threshold cryptography, staking rewards for AXL holders, governance through the Axelar DAO, audited security with multiple reviews, support for over 50 chains including Ethereum, Cosmos, Solana, and more, and developer tools for building multi-chain
dApps, all designed to enable seamless interoperability and liquidity flow across blockchain ecosystems.
What Is AXL Used For?
AXL is used for
staking to secure the network and earn rewards from cross-chain fees, voting in Axelar DAO governance on upgrades and treasury allocation, paying fees for cross-chain transactions and messaging, providing liquidity for yields, and accessing ecosystem incentives including validator rewards and developer grants.
What Is the AXL Token Utility?
AXL secures network consensus through staking and reward distribution from cross-chain fees, powers governance voting on protocol parameters and treasury spending, covers fees for interoperability services with potential burns for deflation, captures value from network activity and message volume allocated to stakers, incentivizes validators and relayers, and funds ecosystem growth through treasury allocations for development, security, and chain expansions.
What Blockchain Does Axelar Operate On?
Axelar operates as a sovereign
Layer-1 blockchain built with Cosmos SDK, using IBC for Cosmos interoperability and custom bridges for non-Cosmos chains.
What Are AXL Tokenomics?
AXL has inflationary rewards for staking with approximately 950 million tokens in circulation as of December 2025. Allocation prioritizes staking incentives, ecosystem development, team vesting, liquidity, treasury; balanced by burns and controlled inflation.