Frequently Asked Questions

Axiom is a Layer 1 proof-of-work blockchain built from the ground up in Rust. It uses ML-DSA-87 post-quantum digital signatures to protect every transaction against both classical and quantum computing attacks. The network produces 30-second blocks, features a smooth exponential reward decay, and launched with a fair distribution -- no pre-mine, no ICO, no team allocation. Every AXM in circulation was earned through mining.

Download the axiom binary for your platform from the Downloads page. Then initialize and start your node:

axiom init
axiom start

The node will automatically discover peers on the network, sync the blockchain, and begin validating new blocks. No manual peer configuration is required.

Run the wallet creation command:

axiom wallet create

This generates a BIP39-compliant 24-word mnemonic seed phrase. Write it down and store it securely -- it is the only way to recover your wallet. The wallet file is encrypted locally using Argon2id for key derivation and XChaCha20-Poly1305 for authenticated encryption. Your private keys never leave your device.

Yes. Axiom uses SHA3-256 proof-of-work mining. Start a mining worker with:

axiom worker start

Block rewards start at 50 AXM and decay smoothly via an exponential function toward a permanent floor of 0.0001 AXM. There are no abrupt halvings. See the Tokenomics page for the full emission schedule.

Minimum: 2 CPU cores, 4 GB RAM, 20 GB disk space.

Recommended: 4+ CPU cores, 8 GB RAM, SSD storage.

Supported platforms:

• Windows 10 or later (x86_64)
• macOS 12 Monterey or later (x86_64 and Apple Silicon)
• Linux with glibc 2.31 or later (x86_64)

Every release includes a SHA256SUMS file containing checksums for all binaries. After downloading, verify the integrity of your file:

Linux / macOS:

sha256sum -c SHA256SUMS

Windows (PowerShell):

Get-FileHash axiom.exe -Algorithm SHA256

Compare the output hash against the value listed in the SHA256SUMS file. If they match, your download is authentic and unmodified.

Axiom uses ML-DSA-87, the standardized version of CRYSTALS-Dilithium, as specified in NIST FIPS 204. ML-DSA-87 provides Category 5 security -- the highest level defined by NIST -- which is equivalent to the security strength of AES-256 against quantum adversaries. Every transaction signature on the Axiom network uses this algorithm, ensuring that funds are protected against both classical brute-force attacks and future quantum computing threats.

The total supply asymptotically approaches approximately 5,000,000 AXM. Block rewards start at 50 AXM and decay smoothly via an exponential function. Once the reward drops below 0.0001 AXM (around block 1,312,000), it is clamped to a permanent floor of 0.0001 AXM per block. There is no pre-mine, no ICO, and no team allocation -- 100% of the supply is distributed through proof-of-work mining.

The full source code is available on GitHub. Axiom is written entirely in Rust and organized as a Cargo workspace with modular crates: axiom-consensus, axiom-crypto, axiom-wallet, axiom-node, axiom-rpc, axiom-guard, and axiom-signer. The codebase is designed for independent auditing and testing of each component.

Axiom uses LWMA (Linear Weighted Moving Average) for difficulty adjustment. Unlike Bitcoin's 2016-block adjustment window, LWMA recalculates difficulty on every single block, weighting recent blocks more heavily. This targets a 30-second block interval and responds rapidly to hashrate changes -- whether from new miners joining, hardware upgrades, or miners leaving the network. The result is significantly more stable block times compared to fixed-window algorithms.