What is the difference between CFX and Conflux?

Conflux is the network. CFX is the token used to pay for activity on the network. Both names refer to the same project — "Conflux" is more common when referring to the platform; "CFX" is the trading symbol you'll see on exchanges.

Is CFX an Ethereum token?

No. CFX runs on its own Layer 1 blockchain, the Conflux Network. CFX is to Conflux what ETH is to Ethereum — the native gas and staking token. Conflux's eSpace is EVM-compatible, but CFX itself is not an ERC-20 token.

Who owns the Conflux Network?

No one owns it. The Conflux Network is a public, permissionless blockchain. The Conflux Foundation, Ltd. supports the protocol's development. Decisions about network parameters are made through on-chain governance by CFX holders.

When was CFX launched?

The Conflux Tethys mainnet launched on October 29, 2020 (Beijing time). CFX has traded continuously since.

"Safe" is the wrong question for any cryptocurrency — better questions are: do you understand what you're holding, where do you store it, and what's your tolerance for volatility. CFX is held safely the same way any cryptocurrency is held safely: in a wallet you control (preferably with a hardware wallet for large balances), with the seed phrase stored offline, and at a position size you can afford to lose if markets move against you.

What did CFX used to be called?

CFX has always been CFX. The Conflux project has always been called Conflux Network. The protocol has had multiple major upgrades (Tethys mainnet 2020, v2.0 2022, v2.3.0 hardfork 2023, Conflux 3.0 hardfork 2025), but the token name and ticker haven't changed.

What is CFX?

CFX is the native cryptocurrency of the Conflux Network. Here's what that means.

Download Conflux Wallet

Conflux Network · Layer 1 · Hybrid PoW + PoS

CFX most commonly refers to one of seven things: the Conflux Network's native cryptocurrency token, ANSYS CFX simulation software, the IPC Connected Factory Exchange manufacturing standard, the Pioneer DJ Smart CFX effects feature, the Yamaha CFX concert grand piano, Cfx Tablet (a brand of ciprofloxacin), or the Central Florida Expressway Authority. This page is about the Conflux Network token. (For other meanings, see the CFX disambiguation page on Wikipedia.)

What CFX is, in one sentence

CFX is the native cryptocurrency token of the Conflux Network — a permissionless Layer 1 blockchain that runs both a Conflux-native execution environment and an EVM-compatible execution environment (eSpace). Manage CFX in Conflux Wallet — download for desktop, buy CFX, or stake CFX.

What CFX does on the network

CFX has four utilities, in roughly descending order of activity.

Pays gas fees

Every transaction on the Conflux Network — sending tokens, calling smart contracts, bridging between spaces — pays gas in CFX. Structurally identical to ETH on Ethereum.

Earns staking rewards

The Conflux Network's built-in PoS pays approximately 4% annualized to staked CFX. Stakers help secure the network's finality layer; rewards are protocol-issued, not platform-issued.

Locks as storage collateral

On Core Space, smart contracts that store data on-chain require the storer to lock CFX as collateral. The collateral returns when the data is freed. Unique to Conflux.

Votes in governance

Holders can vote on protocol changes through Conflux's on-chain governance. Stakers earn additional voting weight proportional to their stake.

What the Conflux Network is

The Conflux Network is a Layer 1 blockchain that has been operating since October 2020 (Tethys mainnet). It uses hybrid consensus — Proof-of-Work block production with Proof-of-Stake finality checkpoints. The PoW layer produces and orders blocks; the PoS layer adds settlement-finality guarantees against long-range attacks.

Tree-Graph consensus

The network's distinguishing technical feature is the Tree-Graph consensus algorithm, which processes blocks concurrently rather than serially. Where most blockchains process one block at a time, Tree-Graph processes parallel blocks and merges them into a directed acyclic graph. The September 2025 Conflux 3.0 hardfork increased designed throughput to up to 15,000 TPS.

Core Space

Conflux's native VM. Uses Conflux's CIP-37 base32 address format (cfx:...), implements storage collateral, and supports Conflux-specific protocol features. This is where the network's native staking, governance, and DAO mechanics live.

How Conflux's two execution spaces work

eSpace

Fully EVM-compatible. Uses standard Ethereum 0x... addresses, runs Ethereum smart contracts unchanged, and works with Ethereum tooling — MetaMask, Hardhat, Foundry, Solidity. eSpace exists to let projects deploy on Conflux without rewriting Ethereum-targeted code.

History, supply, and network upgrades

Founded 2018 by a team including Fan Long (Toronto computer-science professor, MIT PhD), Ming Wu (CTO), YuanJie Zhang, and David Chow. Chief scientist: Andrew Yao (Turing Award 2000).
Tethys mainnet launched October 29, 2020.
Supply: ~5.2B circulating of ~5.73B total. Supply unlock is essentially complete.
All-time high: $1.70 (March 27, 2021). All-time low: $0.022 (December 2022).
Conflux 3.0: activated at epoch 129,680,000 (~September 2025). Hybrid PoW + PoS, CIP-156 stake locking (replacing permanent slashing), CIP-7702 EOA code-setting in eSpace, BLS12-381 precompiles.
Backing: ~$35M raised across rounds with backing from Sequoia China, Baidu Ventures, Metastable, and others.

What CFX is not

Not a stablecoin. CFX is a volatile cryptocurrency. Conflux hosts stablecoins (AxCNH, AxHKD, USDT0, XAUt0) but those are separate tokens.
Not a security in any major jurisdiction's classification we're aware of, but securities law varies — check before significant investment in your jurisdiction.
Not a centrally controlled corporate token. Decisions about the Conflux Network are made through on-chain governance with CFX-weighted voting.