Mainnet · since version 1.0.0
Helix Post-quantum blockchain
A layer-1 blockchain secured by NIST-standardised post-quantum cryptography — every signature ML-DSA-65, from the very first block.
- Block height
- —
- Block time (target)
- ≈ 2 s
- Validators
- —
- Signatures
- ML-DSA-65
- ML-DSA-65 on every signature
- Mainnet since 1.0.0
- BFT finality
- ≈ 2 s per block
- ZK-STARKs
- alice.hlx
- Open source · MIT
01Live
The chain, block by block.
Every new block shows up here as soon as the public node reports it — with its height, hash and transactions. A click opens it in the explorer.
02Post-quantum from the ground up
Not retrofitted. Built from the ground up.
Instead of migrating an existing chain to post-quantum later, Helix is designed for it from the first line of code: ML-DSA-65 on every transaction, block and validator vote — no transition period, no classical signature schemes to swap out down the line.
- Signature
- ML-DSA-65 · FIPS 204
- Backup
- SLH-DSA-SHA2-192s · FIPS 205
- Hash
- BLAKE3
- Proofs
- ZK-STARK
- Transport
- Noise · X25519 · classical
03Why Helix
What existing blockchains leave open.
Six problems Helix does not leave for later, but has solved since its first line of code.
| In existing blockchains | Helix |
|---|---|
| A large quantum computer can break ECDSA and Ed25519 signatures | ML-DSA-65 (NIST FIPS 204) on every transaction, block and vote |
| Stake buys voting power without limit | Each validator’s voting power capped at 1% of total stake |
| Hex addresses; a lost key is lost for good | alice.hlx names and recovery through guardians |
| No plan for the next cryptographic migration | The signature scheme is versioned in every transaction |
| Zero-knowledge proofs resting on elliptic curves (SNARKs) | ZK-STARKs only — purely hash-based |
| A contract that runs forever stalls the chain | WASM VM, fuel-metered per transaction and per block, no floating point |
04Architecture
Eight decisions, block by block
What the protocol is made of — and where to read it in the code.
ML-DSA-65 everywhere
Every transaction, every block, every validator vote. No classical scheme with a migration plan attached.
Crypto agility built in
The signature scheme is versioned in every transaction; SLH-DSA (FIPS 205) stands by as a hash-based reserve.
Final in about two seconds
Tendermint-style BFT consensus: a block stands once more than two thirds of the vote is behind it — and, as long as less than a third of the vote is faulty, is never reverted.
Voting power capped
Each validator’s voting power is capped at 1% of total stake — capital alone buys no majority. That only means at most 1% of the vote once there are 100 validators; today the set is far smaller.
Names and recovery
alice.hlx instead of a hex address — and social recovery through guardians when a key is lost.
WASM contracts without reentrancy
Fuel-metered, no floating point, no calls between contracts: the best-known attack surface simply is not there.
ZK-STARKs
Zero-knowledge proofs built on hashes alone — no elliptic curves for a quantum computer to break.
Upgrades by governance
Protocol changes are voted on-chain and activate at a height announced in advance. No more resets since 1.0.0.
05Supply
Capped, traceable, with a disclosed genesis allocation.
Every number is in the code. More than 99% of all HLX only come into being by producing blocks.
HLX supply over time — upper bound, before burned fees
Show as a table
| Year | Newly issued (HLX) | Total supply (HLX) |
|---|---|---|
| Genesis | 0.00 | 161,000 |
| 1 | 15,768,000.00 | 15,929,000 |
| 2 | 7,884,000.00 | 23,813,000 |
| 3 | 3,942,000.00 | 27,755,000 |
| 4 | 1,971,000.00 | 29,726,000 |
| 5 | 985,500.00 | 30,711,500 |
| 6 | 492,750.00 | 31,204,250 |
| 7 | 246,375.00 | 31,450,625 |
| 8 | 123,187.50 | 31,573,813 |
| 9 | 61,593.75 | 31,635,406 |
| 10 | 30,796.88 | 31,666,203 |
| 11 | 15,398.43 | 31,681,602 |
| 12 | 7,699.21 | 31,689,301 |
| 13 | 3,849.60 | 31,693,150 |
| 14 | 1,924.80 | 31,695,075 |
| 15 | 962.40 | 31,696,038 |
| 16 | 481.19 | 31,696,519 |
| 17 | 240.59 | 31,696,759 |
| 18 | 120.29 | 31,696,880 |
| 19 | 60.14 | 31,696,940 |
| 20 | 30.07 | 31,696,970 |
| 21 | 15.03 | 31,696,985 |
| 22 | 7.51 | 31,696,992 |
| 23 | 3.75 | 31,696,996 |
| 24 | 1.88 | 31,696,998 |
| 25 | 0.93 | 31,696,999 |
| 26 | 0.46 | 31,696,999 |
| 27 | 0.22 | 31,697,000 |
| 28 | 0.11 | 31,697,000 |
| 29 | 0.05 | 31,697,000 |
| 30 | 0.02 | 31,697,000 |
- hard cap
- 33M
- HLX at genesis (~0.5%)
- 161,000
- block reward, halved yearly
- 1 HLX
- of the base fee is burned
- 100%
- HLX minimum validator stake
- 10,000
- slashed for double-signing
- 5%
- unbonding period
- 7 days
- default commission, at most 50%
- 10%
Genesis allocation (1.0.0)
- launch reserve on an offline key
- 100,000 HLX
- liquid, one for each of the three operators
- 3 × 15,000 HLX
- bootstrap validator: staked + liquid
- 15,000 + 1,000 HLX
Genesis hashf318dcdeffe93a45e8f7233b2048bedf1d544410028dafaec46a5461d4ef8540Query the genesis from the node (opens in a new tab)
HLX is not an investment, and nothing here promises it is worth anything. Every parameter — and the open question of what pays for security once issuance ends — is in TOKENOMICS.md (opens in a new tab).
06Get started
Three ways in.
You do not need a node of your own to use Helix: the wallet and the command line talk to the public network with no setup.
Desktop wallet
For Linux, macOS and Windows — everything the command line does, without a terminal.
- Balance, send, receive, history
- Staking, delegation and governance
- .hlx names and recovery
- A validator node in one click
- The key stays on your machine; locks after 10 minutes
Command line
One binary for everything: helix runs a node or talks to the network as a client.
# 1. Create a wallet helix wallet new -o alice.json --passphrase # 2. Look at the chain helix chain status # 3. Send HLX helix tx send <address> 10 --key alice.json
Validate or delegate
Help secure the network — with a node of your own or through an existing validator.
- Validate from 10,000 HLX stake
- Delegate without running a node
- Works behind NAT, firewalls or proxies
- Linux, macOS, Windows or Docker
07Known limits
A young network with known limits.
- The validator set is still smallWith n validators the network survives ⌊(n−1)/3⌋ failures: four survive one, seven survive two — three or fewer survive none. When too many are missing, the chain stops and waits; it does not fork. Active right now: —.
- HLX is not an investmentSince 1.0.0 nothing is reset any more. That does not mean HLX is worth anything — and we do not claim it is.
- The transport uses classical encryptionNodes connect over libp2p Noise (X25519). What they exchange is public and ML-DSA-signed: a quantum computer could read along but forge nothing.
- Consensus at scale: shown in tests, not yet in productionVote locking, re-proposals and double-sign detection are exercised in fault-injection and chaos tests — including with a third of all messages lost, with no fork. The live network is still small.
- Reviewed continuously from an attacker’s point of view — AI-assistedThe review runs alongside development with Claude (Anthropic), as the README describes. Every finding is first reproduced as a test, then fixed; as a cross-check, reverting the fix must make the test fail again. No independent external audit has been published so far.
We would rather say this up front than have to explain it afterwards.
08Questions
Questions about Helix
Do I need my own node?
No. The wallet and the command line talk to the public network with no setup. A node of your own is worth it if you want to validate or verify the chain independently.
How do I become a validator?
With at least 10,000 HLX staked and a running node — from the command line or in one click from the desktop wallet, behind NAT or a proxy too. The guide is in the documentation under “Running a Node”.
Can I take part without running a node?
Yes, by delegating: you put your stake behind a validator and receive a share of its earnings, less commission (10% by default, at most 50%).
What happens when validators go down?
With n validators the network survives ⌊(n−1)/3⌋ failures. With more missing, the chain stops and waits — it does not fork. A validator that stops signing is suspended for a while. Under protocol 1, active today, that costs no stake; from protocol 2, once stakers vote it in, it does.
What does a transaction cost?
A base fee per byte, burned in full, plus a tip for the validator. The base fee follows demand (at most ±12.5% per block); the wallet never pays more than 1 HLX on its own.
Is HLX an investment?
No. The network is young, and nothing here promises it is worth anything.
09Open
Open. MIT-licensed. Check it yourself.
Code, documentation, explorer and the public node — all of it open, none of it behind an account.