The Avalanche token (AVAX) performs various tasks within Avalanche's Proof of Stake blockchain network. The Avalanche token functions as a rewards and payment system for users. The network is designed to be an open-source platform for launching highly decentralized applications, enterprise deployments, and decentralized financial instruments. The Avalanche ecosystem is meant to be smore scalable and interoperable than other blockchain platforms. Unlike Bitcoin and many other networks, transaction fees are “burnt” in order to increase token scarcity. This process is offset by the release, or “minting,” of new coins.
Avalanche was launched by Ava Labs, whose founder Emin Gün Sirer is a veteran computer scientist that has been very influential in the Blockchain space. Gün Sirer is a computer science professor at Cornell University and has written extensively about scaling blockchain networks.

Tendermint is a consensus algorithm that was created by a company called All in Bits. The open source algorithm is Byzantine Fault-Tolerant and uses an authenticated encryption system to secure transactions. The Tendermint consensus mechanism was developed in 2014 for the Cosmos Network. The Interchain Foundation, which is developing the Cosmos Network, continues to employ All in Bits to support Cosmos.

The Interplanetary File System (IPFS) is a decentralized network protocol for sharing hypermedia in a distributed file system. IPFS can be used to link blockchain transactions This effectively timestamps and secures the content, without having to put the data on the chain itself. Filecoin, an IPFS-based decentralized storage cloud, is closely related with the IPFS protocol, and provides the incentive system.