Ethereum Classic is the original, unmodified version of the Ethereum blockchain — preserved after a 2016 split. It upholds the principle that blockchain transactions should be immutable and censorship-resistant: once a transaction is recorded, it cannot be changed or reversed, no matter the circumstances. ETC is the native cryptocurrency of the Ethereum Classic network, used to pay transaction fees and participate in the network.
— Deep Dive
In 2016, the Ethereum network was hit by a major hack known as "The DAO Attack," in which an attacker drained approximately $60 million USD worth of ETH from a smart contract. The Ethereum community faced a difficult decision: intervene and reverse the transactions, or uphold the principle that blockchain records are permanent. The majority voted to reverse the hack, creating the Ethereum we know today. A minority refused — arguing that blockchains should never be altered — and continued using the original chain, which became Ethereum Classic.
Ethereum Classic operates on the same foundational technology as the original Ethereum, with a few key distinctions:
Unlike Ethereum which switched to Proof of Stake in 2022, Ethereum Classic continues to use Proof of Work mining — a deliberate choice to maintain decentralization and resistance to censorship.
ETC's core philosophy is "Code is Law" — meaning smart contract outcomes are final and irreversible, even in cases of error or theft. This makes it the more ideologically pure implementation of the original Ethereum vision.
Ethereum Classic has a maximum supply of approximately 210 million ETC. Like Bitcoin, the block reward is reduced over time, making ETC a deflationary asset by design.
Ethereum Classic supports a range of use cases:
Smart Contracts Decentralized Apps Value Transfer Crypto Trading Store of Value Web3 Development
— The Currency
ETC is the native cryptocurrency of the Ethereum Classic network — powering transactions and smart contract execution on the original Ethereum chain.
ETC is used to pay the fees required to send transactions and interact with smart contracts on the Ethereum Classic network.
Developers can build and deploy decentralized applications on the Ethereum Classic blockchain, using the same smart contract language as Ethereum.
ETC is listed on major cryptocurrency exchanges and provides an alternative exposure to the Ethereum ecosystem with a different risk and value profile.
Send ETC anywhere in the world — quickly, securely, and without relying on banks or traditional financial intermediaries.