What is Ontology Gas (ONG)?

Deep Dive

1. Purpose & Value Proposition

ONG enables transactions and smart contract execution on Ontology’s blockchain, which focuses on trustless digital identity and data management. By decoupling gas fees from the governance token (ONT), Ontology stabilizes transaction costs and reduces volatility risks. This design supports enterprise-grade use cases like ONT ID, a mobile app for self-sovereign identity, and DDXF, a decentralized data exchange framework.

2. Technology & Architecture

Ontology uses a hybrid consensus mechanism called VBFT (Verifiable Byzantine Fault Tolerance), combining Proof-of-Stake, verifiable random functions, and Byzantine Fault Tolerance. This balances speed, security, and decentralization, enabling Layer 2 scalability for custom blockchain solutions. ONG’s role as gas ensures predictable fees for cross-chain operations and dApp interactions.

3. Tokenomics & Governance

ONG is algorithmically distributed to ONT stakers, incentivizing network participation. The total supply is capped at 1 billion, with ~424 million circulating as of September 2025. This model separates governance (ONT) from utility (ONG), allowing stakeholders to earn passive income while maintaining network security.

Conclusion

ONG is the transactional backbone of Ontology’s decentralized identity and data infrastructure, designed for stability and enterprise adoption. How might its dual-token system influence broader blockchain interoperability as digital identity becomes critical in Web3?