CChain

CChain, short for Contract Chain, is one of the three primary blockchains in the Avalanche platform. It is specifically designed to host smart contracts and is the Ethereum-compatible chain of the network, enabling developers to deploy Solidity-based dApps and tokens using familiar tooling.

Launched with the Avalanche mainnet in 2020, CChain provides an Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM) compatible environment, so existing Ethereum development tools—such as Remix, Hardhat, Truffle—and wallets like MetaMask can interact with it. Transactions on CChain are settled on the Avalanche network and pay gas fees in AVAX.

Architecturally, CChain operates alongside XChain and PChain as part of a shared validator network. It inherits Avalanche's high-throughput, low-latency consensus, but runs Ethereum-compatible contracts, enabling DeFi, NFT apps, and other DApps to be deployed with familiar patterns. Interoperability with other chains is achieved through cross-chain transfer mechanisms that allow assets or data to move between CChain and the other Avalanche chains, enabling mixed ecosystems of assets and contracts.

Development and governance are tied to the broader Avalanche ecosystem. Validators secure the chain, and subnet technology allows organizations to operate customized networks with their own validator sets, security parameters, and compliance profiles while still interoperating with the CChain when needed.

CChain has seen broad adoption within the Avalanche ecosystem, driven by its EVM compatibility, relatively low fees, and fast finality. It remains a core platform for developers seeking Ethereum-like smart contract functionality within a multi-chain architecture.