Internet Computer 

ICP Price

What is the Internet Computer (ICP) coin?

Internet Computer is a Layer-1 blockchain developed by the DFINITY Foundation that runs applications end-to-end on-chain. Its "canister" smart contracts serve web content directly from the network, positioning ICP as a decentralized alternative to cloud hosting. The ICP coin pays compute and transaction fees — consumed via a cycles mint-and-burn mechanism — and is staked for governance rewards. Mainnet launched May 11, 2021. The token generation event via CoinList took place the same day.

Is ICP a coin or an ERC-20 token?

ICP is a native coin on its own Internet Computer blockchain, not an ERC-20 token. ERC-20 versions exist only as bridged wrappers, issued on Ethereum and Base at the same contract address, verifiable on Etherscan and Basescan. The original asset lives on-chain under canister ID ryjl3-tyaaa-aaaaa-aaaba-cai.

What is the Network Nervous System (NNS)?

The Network Nervous System (NNS) is the on-chain governance system of the Internet Computer blockchain. ICP holders stake tokens in "neurons" to vote on protocol upgrades and earn voting rewards. A separate Service Nervous System (SNS) extends DAO-style governance to individual dApps built on Internet Computer.

How do you stake ICP tokens?

Staking ICP means locking tokens into a neuron inside the NNS. Stakers vote on governance proposals, and the NNS mints new ICP as voting rewards for participants. Longer neuron lockups increase voting power and reward eligibility. Staking rewards are one of two emission sources on Internet Computer, alongside node-provider rewards.

What is ICP's maximum and total supply?

ICP has no maximum supply — the tokenomics are uncapped. Per DropsTab data, total supply exceeded 550 million ICP as of September 2026. Supply is dynamic: the NNS mints new ICP for node-provider and governance rewards, while ICP converted into cycles for compute is burned. Net emission floats month to month.

How does ICP's vesting schedule affect investors?

Per DropsTab vesting data, the May 11, 2021 genesis allocated roughly 492 million ICP across 12 categories. Early backers received 44.5 million ICP (9.43%) unlocked in full at TGE with no lockup. Sale tranches released monthly and linearly — 12-month streams ended in mid-2022, the 3-year Strategic Round stream in mid-2024, and the 4-year Seed stream in 2025. Ongoing supply growth now comes from NNS reward minting, so dilution is a permanent structural feature of ICP rather than a vesting-cliff risk.

Who backed Internet Computer and how much did DFINITY raise?

Per DropsTab fundraising data, DFINITY raised about $167 million across three priced rounds. Andreessen Horowitz led all three; Polychain Capital co-led the Strategic Round and Pre-Sale. The Seed/Private Sale in February 2017 raised $4.2 million at roughly $0.036 per token for 24.72% of supply. The Strategic Round added Union Square Ventures and Sequoia Capital as participants.

What did the Internet Computer airdrop distribute?

The Community Airdrop distributed 5,865,126 ICP — 1.25% of genesis supply — to early community members around the May 2021 launch. Releases ran monthly through mid-2022, and the campaign has closed. ICP holders earn through NNS staking rather than airdrop campaigns, and individual dApps occasionally run SNS decentralization swaps with their own vesting terms.

Where can you buy ICP — centralized or decentralized exchanges?

ICP liquidity concentrates on centralized exchanges. Per DropsTab data, ICP trades in 60+ spot pairs across 25+ CEX venues, including Binance, Coinbase, Kraken, OKX and Bybit, with fiat pairs in USD, EUR, KRW, TRY and IDR. More than 10 derivative markets list ICP perpetuals. DEX liquidity is thin by comparison — a handful of Uniswap and Aerodrome pools trade the wrapped ERC-20 form against WETH and USDC, so tier-1 CEX venues carry the depth.

Is ICP a good investment?

Investment outcomes cannot be predicted from public data; the structural facts cut both ways. Supporting ICP: tier-1 venture backing of roughly $167 million and deep CEX liquidity across major venues. Risking it: an uncapped supply with permanent NNS minting, and an insider-heavy genesis — the DFINITY Foundation and team together held 41.85% of the initial allocation. DropsTab classifies ICP under "SEC security token", reflecting the securities debate around its 2021 CoinList sale structure.