Summary

Ankr is a decentralized Web3 infrastructure provider that helps developers, decentralized applications and stakers easily interact with various blockchains . Users can easily build DApps with access to APIs and RPCs, stake via Ankr Earn, and get customized solutions that meet the needs of blockchain enterprises.  

The project token ANKR facilitates all activities on the Ankr protocol. Tokens can be used to pay for requests to be chained onto the blockchain, reward independent node providers who process requests, and reward ANKR holders for staking ANKR to full nodes. ANKR can be purchased using a credit or debit card on the Binance exchange.

Introduction

Cross-chain and multi-chain are widely welcomed by investors and users. Through the developing Web3 ecosystem, previous cross-chain activities can be simplified. Ankr has been instrumental in this process and is designed for users looking for a streamlined way to interact with multiple blockchains. Ankr caters to the needs of both developers and cryptocurrency investors.

What is Ankr?

Ankr was founded in 2017 by Chandler Song and Ryan Fang and launched mainnet in 2019. Ankr provides a set of Web3 (aka Web 3.0) tools that allow developers, applications, and stakers to access the infrastructure of multiple blockchains through a decentralized platform. Anyone can contribute nodes to the Ankr protocol and handle blockchain requests from around the world to earn rewards. On the other hand, developers and projects that don’t want to set up and run their own nodes can pay to use the Ankr protocol’s decentralized node infrastructure. If users plan to stake or become a validator on multiple blockchains, they can also use Ankr to easily manage the process.  

Ankr currently supports staking in Polygon (MATIC), Ethereum (ETH), Binance Coin Smart Chain (BNB), Avalanche (AVAX), Polkadot (DOT), and Kusama (KSM) Pledge. Users can also pay a monthly fee to run an Ethereum 2.0 node using ANKR as a simplified validator.

How does Ankr work?

We must realize that Ankr is not a blockchain, but a running platform that provides a series of tools for builders, stakers and enterprises. Its main functions include:

Decentralized node infrastructure service

Ankr’s decentralized infrastructure can help DeFi platforms, NFT projects, blockchain games and various DApps. Having so many high-performance independent nodes around the world processing requests means that all applications can access the blockchain in a more scalable way at increased speeds and lower costs.  

Setting up a blockchain node requires technical knowledge and is time-consuming and labor-intensive. Not everyone has the ability to deploy nodes themselves. Ankr can launch dedicated nodes for remote access by users in need. The Ankr protocol consists of independently running nodes around the world from which users can request data at any time.  

High-level API and RPC endpoints for developers

Developers deploy smart contracts and DApps into the blockchain need to use specific APIs, namely application program interfaces. However, this typically requires running the node yourself and spending hours syncing it to the current state of the blockchain. The Ankr protocol provides instant API service and RCP access through its own decentralized node provider network, completely eliminating the need to run nodes yourself.

Having dedicated application programming interfaces (APIs) and remote procedure calls (RPCs) means users and their projects can interact with individual blockchains without having to compete with other users on a shared server flow. By using Ankr's API endpoint, users can access the entire chain of data without having to set it up themselves. This API provides DApps with all the data they need to run successfully, allowing users to have a better experience.

Liquid pledge

A common problem with decentralized finance (DeFi) is that liquidity will be lost after funds are pledged. In addition to providing staking services across multiple chains, Ankr also offers reward-earning tokens to represent users’ staked funds. These new "liquid pledged tokens" can subsequently be used for trading or other DeFi revenue strategies, such as liquidity mining, revenue farming, lending, etc. This mechanism can effectively release the value of pledged investments, thereby earning income in more areas.

Before starting staking, individuals need to associate their wallet with the platform. Multiple cryptocurrencies can be staked on Ankr, so the platform supports multiple wallets. Let’s take staking ETH as an example. After completing the staking process (covered later in this guide), users are rewarded with aETHb tokens that earn rewards, or aETHc tokens with rewards. Since ETH is locked in preparation for Ethereum 2.0, aETHb and aETHc provide a liquid way to access the value of users’ staked assets.

Enterprise

In response to the flexible and customized solution needs of enterprises, Ankr provides a Web3 infrastructure as a service model. Enterprises dealing with multiple blockchain networks can use Ankr’s API and RPC services, which are accessible through the monitoring platform. Enterprise needs often differ from those of smaller projects, DApps, and individual users, so this enterprise solution is tailored to business use cases.

What is ANKR?

ANKR is the utility token of the Ankr platform and is an ERC-20 and BEP-20 token that can be used in the Ethereum and Binance Smart Chain ecosystems. The supply of ANKR tokens is capped at 10 billion and plays a central role in the decentralized infrastructure market of the Ankr protocol:

1. Ankr protocol users pay ANKR to obtain advanced services.  

2. Independent node providers pledge ANKR and distribute traffic to earn ANKR rewards.  

3. Token holders can pledge ANKR to effectively protect the security of the protocol and share rewards.

4. Pay ANKR and remotely access the node where Ankr runs.

5.ANKR can be used to vote in the Ankr governance mechanism.

Therefore, in the Ankr network, ANKR serves as both a utility token and a governance token. ANKR is the payment method for all Ankr products. ANKR is a critical part of the Ankr protocol for users, providers, and stakers. This makes ANKR more similar to PancakeSwap’s CAKE than native cryptocurrencies with autonomous networks like BTC or ETH.

Where to buy ANKR?

On the Binance exchange, users can easily purchase ANKR in two ways. First, the coin is purchased via credit or debit card using the fiat currency of your choice. Simply visit the [Debit/Credit Card One-Click Buy Coins] page, select the desired payment fiat currency, and then select "ANKR" in the [Receive] field. Click [Continue] for further instructions and to confirm your purchase.

ANKR can also be used to trade various other cryptocurrencies. Go to the trading view and enter "ANKR" in the trading pair search bar to find a list of available trading pairs.

How to stake with Ankr?

1. One of the main features of Ankr is that it can be easily pledged across multiple chains in a single client. To do this, first go to the Ankr Earn website and select the cryptocurrency you want to stake. We’ve already selected BNB here, so just click [Stake]. Please note that staking BNB on Binance Beacon Chain requires a Binance Chain wallet.

2. Click the big button [Authorize Access].

3. Select a personal account.

4. Here you can select the amount to be pledged. Please make sure you have enough BNB to pay the transaction fee and return to the Ankr platform when you plan to redeem your funds.

Summary

No matter what type of blockchain user, will be interested in Ankr service. Users can choose to stake across different blockchains and manage all their funds in one place. Builders have access to decentralized multi-chain development tools and can quickly expand to other networks. Enterprises can get the customized solutions they need to integrate their own platforms with staking products, infrastructure and more. As of now, Ankr still positions itself as a hyper-growing decentralized infrastructure provider and will continue to provide more services to Web3 developers and users.