Avalanche Subnets
Avalanche L1s enable developers to build sovereign, customizable Layer 1 blockchains with high throughput, near-instant finality, and full interoperability on Avalanche’s scalable multi-chain platform.
Overview
Avalanche L1s provide a framework for developers and enterprises to create fully sovereign Layer 1 blockchains on top of Avalanche’s high-performance infrastructure. These custom blockchains, also called subnets, can be tailored with unique virtual machines, governance models, tokenomics, and compliance rules. Avalanche’s architecture supports thousands of validators and achieves transaction finality in under one second, enabling scalable, low-latency applications.
The platform’s core innovation is its multi-chain design, anchored by three built-in chains (X-Chain, P-Chain, and C-Chain) and extended by user-created L1s that interoperate via Avalanche Interchain Messaging (ICM). Most Avalanche L1s use the Subnet-EVM, an Ethereum Virtual Machine-compatible environment that supports Solidity smart contracts and Ethereum tooling, easing migration and development. Alternatively, developers can build custom virtual machines in any language, allowing for specialized use cases and performance optimizations.
Avalanche L1s are ideal when projects require capabilities beyond the standard C-Chain, such as custom gas tokens, permissioned access, or unique fee structures. The platform’s open-source tooling, including the Avalanche CLI and L1 Toolbox, simplifies blockchain deployment and management. With a growing ecosystem spanning DeFi protocols, gaming studios, enterprises, and institutional partners, Avalanche L1s offer a flexible, secure, and performant foundation for next-generation decentralized applications and blockchains.
The Problem
Developers and enterprises often face limitations when building on shared Layer 1 blockchains, including lack of customization, scalability bottlenecks, and insufficient control over governance, tokenomics, and compliance. These constraints hinder the deployment of specialized applications that require unique rules or isolated environments.
The Solution
Key Features
Subnet-EVM
A mature, EVM-compatible virtual machine optimized for Avalanche L1s with robust developer tooling.
Validator Manager Contracts
Smart contracts that manage validator sets, staking, and rewards for custom blockchains.
Custom Tokenomics Configuration
Flexible gas token selection, emission schedules, fee burning, and reward distribution.
Precompiled Contracts for Permissions and Allowlists
Built-in interfaces to enforce access control and permissioning on custom blockchains.
Key Strengths
How Developers Use Avalanche Subnets
Enterprise Private Blockchain
An enterprise builds a permissioned Avalanche L1 with custom compliance rules and private validator sets to meet regulatory requirements.
DeFi Protocol with Custom Tokenomics
A DeFi project launches its own Avalanche L1 to implement unique fee models and governance mechanisms not possible on shared chains.
Gaming Ecosystem with Dedicated Chain
A gaming studio creates a high-throughput Avalanche L1 optimized for fast, low-cost in-game asset transactions and player-owned economies.
Power your next build
Discover trusted tools and services in the QuickNode Marketplace. Everything you need to launch faster and scale smarter.
Avalanche Subnets Alternatives
Explore web3 competitors and apps like Avalanche Subnets.
Sunrise DA
Sunrise is a next-generation Layer 1 blockchain combining high-throughput data availability with a native liquidity hub.
Institutional Staking
Chorus One is a leading institutional staking provider offering infrastructure and staking services for 40+ Proof-of-Stake networks.
Blast API
Blast API is a decentralized Web3 infrastructure platform providing geographically distributed blockchain node APIs to improve reliability and latency.
Subgraphs
The Graph is a decentralized indexing protocol that organizes blockchain data and makes it easily accessible via GraphQL.
Core API
A Document Object Model for Web APIs designed to simplify API consumption and integration.
Virtual TestNets
Virtually operated Web3 networks that replicate real blockchain networks for development, testing, and staging without using real assets.
Rarible
Rarible API is a fast, unified NFT API infrastructure providing real-time data and executable market features across Ethereum, Base, Polygon, and more than 10 other chains.
Rollups as a Service
A fully managed, customizable rollup deployment platform providing scalable, secure, and high-performance blockchain infrastructure.
Network APIs
Network APIs provides web3 developer tools focused on blockchain network interactions and API services.
Pricing
Pay-as-you-go | |
|---|---|
| Price (Monthly) | Custom pricing |
| Price (Annual) | Custom pricing |
| Messaging | N/A |
| Support | Community support via Discord and documentation |
| Analytics |
Resources
Avalanche provides extensive documentation, developer tools, and community resources to support building and customizing Layer 1 blockchains. The official docs cover everything from initial setup to advanced customization and validator management.