ApeCoin (APE)USD

ApeCoin (APE) is an ERC-20 governance and utility token on Ethereum that powers the APE ecosystem, which includes the Bored Ape Yacht Club community, ApeCoin DAO, and ApeChain. It launched on March 17, 2022, with an initial token distribution tied to Bored Ape Yacht Club and Mutant Ape Yacht Club NFT holders, along with broader ecosystem allocations. ApeCoin is not a standalone blockchain. It operates as an ERC-20 token on Ethereum and also functions as the native gas token on ApeChain, a Layer-2 network built on Arbitrum Orbit. Transaction fees paid in APE on ApeChain are burned. The ApeCoin DAO governs the ecosystem through Ape Improvement Proposals, where APE holders vote on governance decisions and treasury use. APE is used for governance participation, paying gas fees on ApeChain, and as a currency within Web3 applications including games and metaverse environments such as Otherside. The total supply is fixed at one billion APE tokens, all minted at launch and allocated across the community treasury, ecosystem fund, Yuga Labs, launch contributors, and founders. There is no mechanism to mint additional tokens. ApeCoin functions primarily as a governance and utility token for the Yuga Labs-linked Web3 ecosystem rather than as a general-purpose payment network.