ETC trades on most major cryptocurrency exchanges including Coinbase, Kraken, Binance, OKX, KuCoin, Gate.io, and Bybit. For decentralized trading directly on the ETC network, ETCswap V2 and V3 offer non-custodial swaps. Grayscale offers the Ethereum Classic Trust (ETCG) for investors who prefer traditional brokerage access.
ECIP-1017, proposed in November 2016 and in force since block 5,000,000 in December 2017, set a Bitcoin-like fixed monetary policy. Block rewards fall by 20% every 5 million blocks (a little over two years), and the emission schedule caps supply at approximately 210.7 million ETC. The current era (Era 6, from block 25,000,001) pays miners 1.6384 ETC per block. No governance vote can alter this schedule.
Ethereum Classic is the original Ethereum blockchain: a Proof of Work smart contract platform with a fixed supply cap, an immutable transaction history, and permissionless access. It combines Bitcoin's monetary principles (fixed supply, PoW security) with Ethereum's programmability (EVM, smart contracts). It is the largest Proof of Work EVM chain.
ETC occupies a unique intersection: it has the programmability of Ethereum (the EVM, up to Ethereum's Shanghai upgrade) with the monetary properties of Bitcoin (fixed supply, Proof of Work). Unlike Ethereum, ETC never performed an irregular state change, so the ledger is immutable. Unlike Bitcoin, ETC supports smart contracts. No other major cryptocurrency combines all three properties: PoW security, EVM programmability, and ledger immutability.
ethereumclassic.com does not provide investment advice. Cryptocurrency investments carry significant risk including potential total loss. ETC's fixed monetary policy, Proof of Work security model, and EVM compatibility are objective protocol properties; their relevance to an investment decision is for each person to assess. Always do your own research and consult a financial advisor.
Looking for Something Else?
Browse FAQs for other audiences or explore our learning resources.