Nervos Network (CKB — Common Knowledge Byte) is a layered blockchain architecture launched on November 16, 2019, whose base layer, the Common Knowledge Base (CKB), uses an energy-intensive Proof of Work consensus secured by the Eaglesong hash function — specifically chosen so that CKB mining could eventually reuse Bitcoin SHA-256 ASIC hardware in merge-mining scenarios — building on an extended UTXO model (called the Cell Model) where tokens represent ownership of storage space (cells) on the ledger, with CKB-VM (based on RISC-V) enabling any programming language that targets RISC-V to write smart contracts, making Nervos one of the most developer-flexible VM designs in blockchain.
| Stat | Value |
|---|---|
| Ticker | CKB |
| Price | $0.00 |
| Market Cap | $74.28M |
| 24h Change | +3.3% |
| Circulating Supply | 48.59B CKB |
| All-Time High | $0.04 |
How It Works
- Cell Model (Extended UTXO) — Nervos uses a generalization of Bitcoin’s UTXO model. Instead of simple “unspent transaction outputs,” Nervos has “Cells” — data blobs that contain capacity (in CKBytes), data, and lock/type scripts (programs). Owning CKB literally means owning the right to store data on-chain (each CKB = 1 byte of chain state).
- CKB-VM — The Nervos virtual machine is based on the RISC-V instruction set architecture — a real open-source CPU instruction set, not a blockchain-specific VM. This means smart contracts can theoretically be written in C, Rust, Go, or any language that compiles to RISC-V, without creating a custom language.
- Proof of Work (Eaglesong) — CKB uses Eaglesong, a custom hash function designed for ASIC manufacturing efficiency while being novel enough to avoid immediate SHA-256 ASIC repurposing. The choice of PoW for the base layer is intentional — Nervos founders believe PoW provides superior long-term security and censorship resistance for a settlement layer.
- Layered architecture — CKB L1 is the settlement and security layer. L2 networks (state channels, rollups, sidechains) settle back to L1 for final security. Godwoken (Nervos L2) provides EVM compatibility.
- State rent — Occupying CKB state (cell capacity) requires holding CKB tokens. If a user locks up CKB in a cell and doesn’t use it productively, that capacity could instead be earning yield via “Nervos DAO” (a secondary issuance mechanism). This creates an ongoing cost for state storage — an economic disincentive for state bloat.
- Nervos DAO — CKB holders can lock tokens in the Nervos DAO to earn “secondary issuance” (inflation that would otherwise dilute non-participating holders). This effectively makes long-term CKB holders inflation-neutral.
- RGB++ Protocol — An extension built on Nervos CKB (and Bitcoin) using the RGB protocol concept, enabling Bitcoin-native assets and smart contracts tied to Bitcoin UTXOs with Nervos as the verification layer.
Tokenomics
| Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
| Ticker | CKB |
| Max Supply | Primary issuance: 33.6 billion CKB over ~30 years + perpetual secondary issuance (1.344B CKB/year) |
| Launch | November 16, 2019 |
| Consensus | Proof of Work (Eaglesong) |
| Nervos DAO | Lock CKB to offset secondary issuance inflation |
Use Cases
- State storage — CKB tokens represent and secure on-chain byte capacity.
- Nervos DAO staking — Earn secondary issuance to offset inflation.
- L2 settlement — CKB L1 provides finality for L2 state transitions.
- RGB++ / Bitcoin assets — Enable Bitcoin UTXO-linked assets using CKB as verification layer.
- Developer flexibility — Program smart contracts in any RISC-V compatible language.
History
- 2018 — Nervos Network founded by Jan Xie (chief architect, previously Ethereum Ruby client developer), Kevin Wang, and others. Conception of the layered “Store of Value” L1 + scalable L2 architecture.
- 2018-10 — Nervos public sale raises ~$72 million (including $28M from Sequoia China, Multicoin Capital, Polychain Capital).
- 2019-11-16 — Nervos CKB mainnet launches. Proof of Work mining begins with Eaglesong ASIC and GPU miners.
- 2020 — Godwoken (EVM L2) and Polyjuice (EVM compatibility layer) begin development. Nervos becomes early in developing rollup architecture for a PoW L1.
- 2021 — Godwoken EVM L2 launches. Nervos CKB attracts DeFi protocols seeking PoW L1 + EVM L2 combination.
- 2022 — Force Bridge (cross-chain bridge from Ethereum and BSC) becomes production-ready. Nervos positioned as multi-chain interoperability hub.
- 2023 — RGB++ protocol announced and developed, connecting CKB to Bitcoin UTXO model for Bitcoin-native DeFi and asset issuance. This revives Nervos developer activity significantly as Bitcoin DeFi narrative emerges.
- 2024 — CKB gains attention in the Bitcoin DeFi / Ordinals era as RGB++ offers a technically sophisticated approach to Bitcoin smart contracts using CKB as a companion chain. Leap (new EVM L2) launches as a next-generation Nervos EVM environment.
Common Misconceptions
“Nervos uses PoW just to mine CKB.”
The PoW base layer is a deliberate philosophical choice: Nervos founders believe PoW provides superior long-term permissionless security for a global settlement layer, in the tradition of Bitcoin. The storage/state-cost model (Cell Model) is designed to align incentives correctly independent of who controls the chain.
“CKB tokens are like other PoW coins — just currency.”
CKB tokens represent byte-capacity ownership on the ledger. Holding CKB literally means the right to occupy that many bytes of CKB blockchain state. This is a fundamentally different model from coins like Bitcoin or Litecoin where the token is purely a medium of exchange or store of value.
Social Media Sentiment
Nervos has a technically sophisticated but smaller community compared to EVM-centric chains. The project is respected among developers interested in VM flexibility and extended UTXO models. The RGB++ protocol development (2023–2024) generated renewed interest as Bitcoin DeFi became a major narrative, positioning CKB as a Bitcoin sidechain/companion rather than an Ethereum competitor. Jan Xie’s Ethereum pedigree gives the project credibility in developer circles. The main criticism is that Nervos took a very long time to gain dApp adoption despite strong engineering.
Last updated: 2026-04