What Is Qtum (QTUM)? A Proof-of-Stake Smart Contract Chain

Qtum (QTUM) is a proof-of-stake blockchain that runs Ethereum-style smart contracts on Bitcoin's transaction model, and QTUM is the coin that pays its fees and secures it. The chain went live in September 2017, and its developers were still shipping updates in late October 2026. Anyone holding QTUM can stake it to help produce blocks.

Almost all the QTUM that exists was made in the chain's first 40 minutes of mining. The opening blocks of September 2017 created 100 million coins, about 94% of the supply by early November 2026. Staking has added the rest over nine years. After two halvings it adds so little that new coins barely dilute existing holders.

Qtum (QTUM) at a Glance

What Is Qtum Crypto?

Qtum's own code repository describes a blockchain built on Bitcoin's UTXO model that supports smart contracts written for the Ethereum Virtual Machine, or EVM. A UTXO is an unspent transaction output, the chunk of coin a payment leaves behind, much like the notes and change in your wallet.

The EVM is the engine that runs Ethereum's contracts. Most code written for Ethereum can deploy on Qtum without a special compiler. The project calls the piece that joins the two halves the Account Abstraction Layer, the software that lets the EVM work with Qtum's Bitcoin-like ledger.

The network still runs on that two-part design of a Bitcoin-style ledger and Ethereum-style smart contracts. Since 2017 its block reward has shrunk, its blocks have sped up and its EVM rules have followed Ethereum's upgrades.

What Does Qtum Do?

Qtum runs smart contracts, programs that live on the chain and execute when someone sends them a transaction. You pay for that work in QTUM as gas fees. The stakers who produce blocks collect those fees on top of the block reward.

Tokens on Qtum follow a standard called QRC20. The project's documentation describes it as basically the same as the ERC-20 standard used on the Ethereum network. A developer who knows Solidity, Ethereum's main contract language, can write for Qtum without learning a new language.

The project's Qtum Core wallet sends and receives QTUM and QRC20 tokens, and it can stake and run a full node.

Some network settings change without a fork. The repository says its Decentralized Governance Protocol can adjust parameters like block size and gas prices on the chain itself. That lets the network retune fees without asking every node operator to install new software.

How Does the Qtum Blockchain Work?

Qtum picks who adds each block by proof of stake. Coins that holders stake act like lottery tickets, so a wallet with more staked QTUM wins blocks more often. The project says there's no minimum amount and no masternode to run. A block lands about every 32 seconds, the spacing the code set in April 2021 when it cut the old 128-second target to a quarter.

You don't need to keep your own wallet online to stake. Since August 2020 the chain has supported offline staking. Qtum's offline staking guide explains how you delegate an address to a node it calls a Super Staker in return for a fee. The guide calls the arrangement non-custodial, meaning you keep full control of your coins and private keys.

Coins have to mature before they can stake. The guide sets that wait at 2,000 confirmations. At 32 seconds a block, that's a little under 18 hours.

The EVM half tracks Ethereum. The code switches on rules from Ethereum's upgrades at fixed block heights, such as London in July 2022, so a contract built for Ethereum meets familiar rules on Qtum.

QTUM Tokenomics: Where 106 Million Coins Came From

The code paid 20,000 QTUM for each of the chain's first 5,000 blocks. Qtum's chain settings also make those the only proof-of-work blocks the network allows. So 100 million of the 106.14 million QTUM in existence at the early-November close came from the chain's first 5,000 blocks, mined in about 40 minutes on 8 September 2017.

That count adds up the reward the code sets for every block to the early-November close.

Staking took over after block 5,000. Each block paid 4 QTUM until April 2021, when the reward fell to 1 QTUM because blocks started arriving four times as often, so the coins issued per day stayed the same. The first real halving came in December 2021 and the second in November 2025.

Staking adds 0.25 QTUM a block, about 0.23% of the supply a year. At the 32-second pace that's roughly 246,000 new coins a year, shared by everyone who stakes.

The code halves the reward every 3.94 million blocks and drops it to zero at the seventh halving. That caps supply at about 107.82 million QTUM, of which the chain had issued about 98.4%. The next halving sits about 3 million blocks out. At the pace blocks arrived in early November that points to late 2029, a projection that shifts if block times drift.

Is Qtum Still Being Developed?

Yes. The project published Qtum Core v30.3 in late October 2026, after v30.2 in July. The v30.3 release notes say it improves the accuracy of receipt and event-log data for some QRC20 token transactions and isn't a consensus change, so old and new nodes keep accepting the same blocks.

Bigger changes arrive as forks at set heights. The latest, rules from Ethereum's Pectra upgrade, went live on Qtum in January 2026.

How to Buy QTUM Safely

QTUM left Phemex's spot market in July 2026 and its futures market in August 2026. If you buy it somewhere else, these steps keep the coins in your hands.

1. Check that you're buying Qtum the coin, ticker QTUM, since a stock-market fund trades under the same ticker.

2. Pick a wallet that supports the Qtum chain itself, such as the project's Qtum Core wallet, which can also stake.

3. Check the receiving address before you send, because a standard Qtum address starts with the letter Q.

4. Send a small amount first and confirm that it arrived before you move the rest.

5. Place a limit order, which fills only at your price or better, when you trade on any order book.

Phemex's futures cover other crypto markets. Futures use leverage, and a leveraged position is closed automatically if losses reach its margin, a forced exit known as liquidation in crypto trading.

What Are the Risks of Holding QTUM?

A long price slide. QTUM peaked at about $100 in January 2018, by CoinGecko's record. It closed early November 2026 around $0.75, more than 99% below that high, and slow supply growth didn't stop the fall.

Small rewards for staking. Staking income comes only from that thin issuance plus fees, and delegated coins also pay a Super Staker's cut. It won't offset much of a drop in price.

Delisting deadlines. Phemex's spot notice closed QTUM deposits and withdrawals on the day the pair went, and it sent any later withdrawal request to its support team. Coins left on a venue that drops a coin depend on that venue's process.

Is Qtum a Good Investment?

We won't call it for you, but we think the supply side is the strongest part of the case. Nearly every coin already exists and the reward keeps halving, so a long-term holder isn't fighting dilution.

The weak side is demand. Qtum is one of many smart contract chains, and holding it is a bet on which layer 1 smart contract platforms will survive. What would change our view is evidence of use, such as developers deploying more contracts and QRC20 tokens, and a supply count can't show you that.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Qtum the same as the QTUM ETF?

No. Qtum is a blockchain and QTUM is its coin. The QTUM ETF is a quantum computing and AI fund that trades on the stock market under the same ticker, so check the full name before you buy either one.

How many QTUM coins are there?

About 106.14 million QTUM existed at the early-November 2026 close. The code caps the supply at about 107.82 million, and more than nine in ten of those coins came from the first 5,000 blocks of 2017.

Can you still stake QTUM?

Yes. The project says any user can stake, with no minimum amount, using a wallet such as Qtum Core. Since 2020 you can also delegate to a Super Staker without giving up your keys.

Bottom Line

Qtum settled its supply question in its first 40 minutes of mining. Every halving since has only shrunk what's left to issue. That turns QTUM into a plain bet on use. If contract activity on the chain picks up, a holder has little dilution to fight. If it doesn't, the reward schedule won't hold the price up.

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and is not financial advice. Cryptocurrency trading involves substantial risk. Always do your own research before making investment decisions.