Skip to content

XDC Network Architecture

The XDC Network is a Layer-1, EVM-compatible hybrid blockchain architecture designed to support both public decentralization and private enterprise requirements.

It combines:

  • Public blockchain transparency
  • Private/permissioned network privacy
  • Enterprise-grade interoperability and compliance

This hybrid design enables XDC to serve trade finance, tokenization, payments, and regulated financial infrastructure use cases.

Overview

The XDC architecture is built on four foundational principles:

2.1 Hybrid (Public + Private) Architecture

XDC enables coexistence of public and private states:

  • Public Layer (Mainnet):
    • Shared, immutable ledger
    • Global validator participation
    • Transparent transaction verification
  • Private / Permissioned Layers (Subnets / Enterprise Networks):
    • Restricted access networks for enterprises
    • Sensitive data remains private
    • Only hashed proofs or checkpoints are anchored to the public chain

This ensures data privacy + auditability simultaneously, which is critical for regulated industries.

2.2 EVM Compatibility Layer

The XDC Network is a customized Ethereum-based protocol, enabling:

  • Smart contracts written in Solidity
  • Compatibility with:
    • Web3.js
    • Ethers.js
    • Existing Ethereum tooling

This allows seamless migration of dApps and developer adoption.

2.3 High-Performance Execution Layer

The execution environment is optimized for:

  • ~2 second block time
  • Near-instant finality
  • 2000+ TPS throughput
  • Near-zero transaction fees (< $0.0001)

This performance is achieved through:

  • Efficient validator coordination
  • Optimized block production
  • Lightweight infrastructure requirements

2.4 Enterprise Interoperability Layer

XDC is designed to integrate with:

  • ISO 20022 financial messaging systems
  • R3 Corda ecosystem
  • Traditional banking and trade systems

This enables real-world financial system compatibility, not just isolated blockchain execution.

image

Network Layers

Layer 1: XDC Mainnet

The public XDC mainnet is the foundation:

Component Description
Chain ID 50 (Mainnet), 51 (Apothem Testnet)
Consensus XDPoS 2.0
Block Time ~2 seconds
Validators 108 Masternodes
EVM Version Shanghai (latest)

Layer 2: Private Subnets

Enterprise-specific chains with:

  • Custom consensus parameters
  • Permissioned access
  • Data privacy
  • Mainnet checkpointing

Bridge Layer

  • XDC Zero: Cross-chain asset transfers
  • Checkpoint Contract: Subnet state anchoring

Consensus: XDPoS 2.0

XDC uses XinFin Delegated Proof of Stake (XDPoS) version 2.0:

How It Works

  1. Token Holders stake XDC to vote for Masternode candidates
  2. Top 108 Candidates become active Masternodes
  3. Masternodes take turns proposing blocks (round-robin)
  4. Validators sign blocks to confirm
  5. Rewards distributed to Masternodes and voters

Key Features

image

Feature Description
BFT Finality Byzantine Fault Tolerant consensus for instant finality
Forensic Monitoring Detects and records malicious validator behavior
Slashing Penalties for misbehaving validators
Epoch System 900-block epochs for validator rotation

Validator Requirements

Requirement Mainnet Testnet
Minimum Stake 10,000,000 XDC 10,000 XDC
Hardware 16GB RAM, 500GB SSD 8GB RAM, 100GB SSD
Bandwidth 100 Mbps 50 Mbps
Uptime 99.9%+ expected -

Node Types

Masternode (Validator)

  • Proposes and validates blocks
  • Requires 10M XDC stake
  • Earns block rewards

Standby Node

  • Ready to become Masternode
  • Maintains full chain state
  • Can be promoted if Masternode fails

Full Node

  • Stores complete blockchain
  • Serves RPC requests
  • No staking required

Archive Node

  • Stores all historical states
  • Required for block explorers
  • Higher storage requirements

EVM Compatibility

XDC is fully Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM) compatible:

Supported Tools

Category Tools
Languages Solidity, Vyper
Frameworks Hardhat, Truffle, Foundry
Libraries Web3.js, Ethers.js, xdc3.js
Wallets MetaMask, XDCPay
IDEs Remix, VS Code

Migration from Ethereum

// Ethereum code works on XDC with minimal changes

// Change 1: RPC endpoint
const web3 = new Web3('https://rpc.xinfin.network'); // XDC mainnet

// Change 2: Address format (optional)
// Ethereum: 0x71C765...
// XDC:      xdc71C765... (just prefix change)

// Everything else works the same!
const contract = new web3.eth.Contract(ABI, address);

Transaction Lifecycle

image

Transaction Finality

Stage Time Description
Submitted 0s Tx sent to node
Pending 0-2s In mempool, awaiting inclusion
Included 2s In a block
Final 2-4s BFT finality achieved

Smart Contract Execution

Gas Model

XDC uses a gas model similar to Ethereum:

Transaction Cost = Gas Used × Gas Price

Example:
- Simple transfer: 21,000 gas
- Gas price: 0.25 Gwei
- Cost: 21,000 × 0.25 Gwei = 5,250 Gwei ≈ $0.00004

Contract Limits

Parameter Value
Block Gas Limit 420,000,000
Max Contract Size 24 KB
Max Call Depth 1024

Security Model

Network Security

  • 108 Validators: Distributed consensus
  • 10M XDC Stake: Economic security
  • Slashing: Penalties for misbehavior
  • Forensic Monitoring: Behavior tracking

Cryptography

  • Signing: ECDSA (secp256k1)
  • Hashing: Keccak-256
  • Addresses: 20-byte derived from public key

Network Parameters

Mainnet

Parameter Value
Chain ID 50
Native Token XDC
Block Time ~2 seconds
Epoch Length 900 blocks
RPC https://rpc.xinfin.network
Explorer https://xdcscan.com
https://xdc.blocksscan.io

Apothem Testnet

Parameter Value
Chain ID 51
Native Token TXDC (test)
Block Time ~2 seconds
RPC https://rpc.apothem.network
Explorer https://testnet.xdcscan.com
https://apothem.blocksscan.io
Faucet https://faucet.apothem.network
https://faucet.blocksscan.io

Next Steps

Explore
Community
Other Links
© 2026 XDC Network. All rights reserved.