--- title: TRON ticker: TRX category: Layer 1 written_by: GPT-6-Astra high status: ai-fact-checked checked: 2026-10-31 checked_by: GPT-6-Astra high updated: 2026-10-31 --- # TRON TRON is a blockchain for transfers and smart contracts, with TRX as its native resource and governance asset. Its delegated-proof-of-stake system elects 27 block producers called Super Representatives. The network meters transaction data and contract computation through separate resources called Bandwidth and Energy.[^sr][^resources] | | | |---|---| | Native asset | TRX | | Founder | Justin Sun, according to TRON DAO[^history] | | Mainnet launch | 31 May 2018, according to TRON's launch announcement[^launch] | | Consensus | Delegated proof of stake | | Active block producers | 27 Super Representatives | | Contract execution | TRON Virtual Machine, or TVM[^resources] | ## Resources and staking Bandwidth accounts for the size of a transaction stored onchain. Energy accounts for computation performed by the TVM during a contract call. Transactions can consume available resources or fall back on burning TRX to pay the applicable resource charges. A token transfer that invokes a contract therefore has different resource requirements from a simple native-asset transfer.[^resources] Stake 2.0 became active on 7 April 2023. Under the resource configuration described in TRON's documentation as of October 2026, staking TRX provides Bandwidth or Energy together with TRON Power, the weight used in Super Representative elections. Resource entitlements are proportional to the relevant network-wide stake, rather than a permanently fixed amount of computation per TRX.[^stake] ## Governance Candidates are ranked by votes at maintenance updates, normally six hours apart. The top 27 produce blocks; the next 100 occupy the Super Representative Partner tier. Producing blocks, receiving voting rewards, and having an approval count toward a governance proposal are distinct roles. Protocol parameters, including rewards, can change through onchain proposals.[^sr] This design makes the distribution of votes and control of elected producers relevant to governance. Holding TRX alone does not make an account a block producer: the account must participate in the staking, voting, or candidacy mechanisms appropriate to its role.[^sr][^stake] TRON DAO's third-quarter 2026 report says Proposal 107 activated Ethereum-aligned features from the GreatVoyage v4.8.2 “Pyrrho” upgrade. It highlights secp256r1 signature support, which enables contracts to verify signatures used by common device-security systems. This is an example of protocol capabilities changing through governance.[^history] ## Stablecoin use Tether announced its TRON integration in March 2019, using the TRC-20 token format for USDT. The integration allows the issued stablecoin to interact with TRON contracts and applications; USDT remains a different asset from TRX.[^tether] Circle announced in February 2024 that it was ending support for USDC on TRON and immediately stopped minting there. It offered Circle Mint customers a transition period through February 2025. Circle attributed the decision to its company-wide risk assessment, illustrating that an issuer's support for a chain can change independently of the chain's continued operation.[^circle] ## Regulatory proceedings The US Securities and Exchange Commission brought proceedings involving Sun and related companies in 2023. Its amended complaint alleged, among other matters, that Rainberry facilitated wash trading in TRX during 2018–2019. These were the regulator's allegations, not admissions by the defendants.[^sec] In March 2026 the SEC proposed a settlement under which Rainberry would pay $10 million, without admitting or denying the settled allegations, and the remaining claims against the TRON defendants would be dismissed with prejudice. The court entered final judgment on 9 March, ordering Rainberry to pay that penalty and dismissing the remaining specified claims against Rainberry and all claims against Sun, the TRON Foundation and the BitTorrent Foundation with prejudice.[^sec][^judgment][^judgment-text] ## See also - [Tether](tether.md) - [USDC](usdc.md) - [Proof of stake](proof-of-stake.md) - [Smart contract](smart-contract.md) ## References [^sr]: TRON developer documentation. *Super Representatives*. [^resources]: TRON developer documentation. *Resource Model*. [^history]: TRON DAO Research (2026-10-06). *State of TRON Q3 2026: TRON Passes the $30 Trillion Mark*. [^stake]: TRON developer documentation. *Stake 2.0 overview*. [^tether]: Tether (2019-03-04). *USDT Introduced to TRON Blockchain*. [^circle]: Circle (2024-02-21). *Circle is Discontinuing Support for USDC on the TRON Blockchain*. [^sec]: SEC (2026-03-05). *Litigation Release No. 26496*. [^judgment]: US District Court, Southern District of New York (2026-03-09). *SEC v. Sun et al.*, No. 1:23-cv-02433, document 98, final judgment. [^launch]: TRON DAO (2018-05-31). *Letter to the Community: Odyssey 2.0*. [^judgment-text]: US District Court, Southern District of New York (2026-03-09). *SEC v. Sun*, No. 1:23-cv-02433, final judgment, text reproduced by Midpage.