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Crypto network guide
The Ethereum Classic Network, Explained
Quick answer
Ethereum Classic is the original Ethereum chain that declined the 2016 DAO-reversal fork, keeping 'code is law' and Proof of Work. It runs 13-second blocks with a fixed supply cap near 210.7 million ETC — and carries a history, including 2020's 51% attacks, that still shapes how exchanges treat it.
Updated August 2026 · Reviewed by the Anytime Capital trading desk
Ethereum Classic at a glance
- Launched
- 2016 (original chain from 2015)
- Consensus
- Proof of Work (Etchash)
- Block time
- ~13 seconds
- Typical transfer time
- Minutes on-chain; exchange credits often take hours
- Typical network fee
- Under a cent – cents
- Token standard
- ERC-20 compatible (its own token ecosystem is minimal)
- Native asset
- Ethereum Classic (ETC)
Network fee: Typically under $0.01–$0.05 per transaction in 2025–2026. Third-party network figures, not Anytime Capital pricing — our pricing is on the fees & limits page.
How long does a Ethereum Classic transfer take?
Ethereum Classic blocks arrive every ~13 seconds, but exchanges require unusually deep confirmation counts — often thousands of blocks, i.e. several hours — a legacy of the chain's 2020 51% attacks. The chain is quick; the crediting policies are deliberately slow.
Compare every chain on one page: how long crypto transfers take on every major network.
The fork that named both chains
In 2016, an attacker drained The DAO — then Ethereum's flagship application — and the community split over reversing it. The majority forked the ledger to undo the theft and kept the Ethereum name; the minority kept the original, unaltered chain as Ethereum Classic. ETC's identity has been immutability-first ever since, and when Ethereum moved to Proof of Stake in 2022, ETC became the largest EVM chain still mined.
The 2020 attacks, stated plainly
Ethereum Classic suffered three 51% attacks in August 2020 — rented hashpower reorganized thousands of blocks and double-spent millions of dollars. The response: the MESS protocol change (making large reorgs exponentially costly) and, after Ethereum's merge pushed former ETH miners onto ETC, a far higher hashrate than the attack era. No successful attack has occurred since. The lasting consumer-visible effect: exchanges still demand very deep confirmation counts on ETC deposits — expect hours, by policy.
Fixed supply: the un-Ethereum monetary policy
Unlike ETH, ETC has a hard cap: its 2017 monetary policy (ECIP-1017) reduces block rewards 20% every 5 million blocks, converging on a maximum supply of about 210.7 million ETC. Combined with Proof of Work, ETC positions itself as the EVM chain with Bitcoin-style monetary rules — its clearest genuine differentiator.
Stablecoins on Ethereum Classic
No mainstream stablecoins run on Ethereum Classic. To move dollar-pegged value, use USDT or USDC on a supporting network — see stablecoins & their networks.
What does a Ethereum Classic address look like?
| Format | Looks like | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Standard address | 0x + 40 hex characters | Identical to Ethereum's format — ETH and ETC are separate networks; match the asset to the network every time |
Buy ETC — the #1 place to buy crypto with a debit card, wire, Apple Pay & more
Anytime Capital is a US-based money services business with thousands of customers. Debit and credit cards from every major US bank work here, verification takes minutes, and delivery goes straight to the Ethereum Classic address you choose.
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Digital assets are not FDIC-insured, are not bank deposits, and may lose value. Availability and limits subject to identity verification and compliance review.
Ethereum Classic network questions
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