EVM-compatible Layer 1

Build on QIE, an EVM-Compatible Blockchain

Q: What does EVM-compatible mean?

EVM-compatible means a blockchain can run the same smart contracts and interpret the same bytecode as the Ethereum Virtual Machine, the software environment that executes Ethereum's smart contracts. In practice, that means a contract written in Solidity for Ethereum can generally be deployed to an EVM-compatible chain without a full rewrite, though the exact code changes needed depend on the chain and the contract's dependencies, and standard Ethereum tooling, MetaMask, Hardhat, Truffle, and Remix, works on that chain too.

Q: How do I deploy my Solidity contract to a new EVM chain?

The contract code itself typically does not change. What changes is the network configuration: point your Hardhat, Truffle, or Remix deployment script at the new chain's RPC endpoint and chain ID instead of Ethereum's, fund your deployer wallet with that chain's native token for gas, and run your existing deployment script. Testing on a testnet first, using free testnet tokens, is standard practice before deploying to any new chain's mainnet.

Q: Is QIE EVM compatible?

Yes. QIE is a fully EVM-compatible Layer 1 blockchain, meaning Solidity smart contracts, MetaMask, Hardhat, Truffle, and Remix all work on QIE without modification. QIE is built on Cosmos SDK architecture and is IBC ready, which adds interoperability options beyond the EVM ecosystem on top of that standard compatibility.

Q: What are the benefits of an EVM-compatible blockchain?

The main benefit is portability. Contracts, audits, and developer knowledge built for Ethereum transfer directly instead of requiring a rewrite in a new language. Wallets like MetaMask work without a new extension or account system, and the pool of developers who already know Solidity is far larger than for a chain-specific language. For a growing project, EVM compatibility also means less lock-in: your code isn't tied to a single chain's tooling ecosystem.

Q: Can I use MetaMask with QIE?

Yes. Because QIE is EVM-compatible, you add it as a custom network in MetaMask using the RPC URL and chain ID from QIE's developer documentation, just like any other EVM-compatible chain. Once added, MetaMask works with QIE exactly as it does with Ethereum, no separate wallet or extension required.

Q: What's the difference between EVM and non-EVM blockchains?

An EVM blockchain runs smart contracts through the Ethereum Virtual Machine and uses Solidity as its primary contract language, which is what lets contracts and tooling move between EVM chains without a ground-up rewrite. A non-EVM blockchain uses a different execution environment and often a different language entirely. Solana is a common example: it uses a different execution environment, the Solana Virtual Machine, with Rust commonly used for programs, so Ethereum-based contracts and tooling do not carry over without being rebuilt.

QIE runs full EVM compatibility on top of a Cosmos SDK foundation. Deploy your existing Solidity contracts with little to no code changes, keep MetaMask and Hardhat, and get IBC interoperability the EVM alone doesn't give you.

Start Building Free See the Migration Path

25,000+

TPS capacity

<2s

Block finality

$0.0001

Avg. fee

IBC

Cosmos ready

What is an EVM-compatible blockchain?

The one spec that decides whether your existing Solidity contracts and tooling just work.

The Ethereum Virtual Machine

The EVM is the runtime environment that executes Ethereum's smart contracts. It's not a physical machine, it's a standardized way of interpreting contract bytecode, the same way any Java program runs on the Java Virtual Machine regardless of which computer it's on.

What "compatible" means in practice

A chain is EVM-compatible when it can execute Ethereum smart-contract bytecode. In practice, that lets a Solidity contract written and tested for Ethereum deploy to that chain with little or no code changes, depending on the chain and the project's dependencies, and Ethereum-native tools like MetaMask, Hardhat, Truffle, and Remix work against it out of the box.

Why move to another EVM chain?

EVM compatibility isn't unique to one network. Here's what pushes teams to look elsewhere.

Cost

Transaction costs can climb fastest during congestion, exactly when your users are most active, making frequent on-chain actions expensive on higher-fee networks.

Scale

Real-world throughput on established EVM chains varies widely. If your app's growth plans outpace what your current chain handles at busy periods, that's a migration signal.

Interoperability

Most EVM chains are EVM-only. If your roadmap needs to reach non-EVM ecosystems too, a chain with built-in cross-chain infrastructure saves you from bolting on a bridge later.

Full EVM support, infrastructure built for scale

The Ethereum development experience stays exactly the same. The foundation underneath it doesn't: higher throughput, lower fees, and cross-chain reach built in.

Write Solidity like normal

Deploy contracts using the same EVM development workflow you already use, with QIE-specific network configuration where required. No new language, no custom VM to learn.

Handle real production load

Delegated Proof-of-Stake consensus on Tendermint Core, built for 25,000+ TPS capacity with finality in under 2 seconds.

Keep costs predictable

QIE targets an average transaction fee of $0.0001, using Delegated Proof-of-Stake consensus instead of competitive fee auctions. Its fee model also burns 80% of every gas fee rather than paying the full amount out to validators.

Reach beyond the EVM

Cosmos SDK architecture and IBC readiness let your contracts reach the Cosmos ecosystem directly in supported cases, without relying solely on third-party EVM bridges.

Bring your existing EVM stack to QIE

If you already have a Solidity contract and a MetaMask-based frontend, you already have most of what you need. For most projects, the contract logic and wallet connection stay the same, what changes is the network configuration your wallet and deployment scripts point to.

Add QIE as a custom network in MetaMask, using the RPC URL and chain ID from the developer docs, then point your existing Hardhat or Truffle deployment config at that network instead of Ethereum's.

hardhat.config.js

// hardhat.config.js
module.exports = {
  networks: {
    qie: {
      url: "https://rpc1testnet.qie.digital",
      chainId: 1983,
      accounts: [process.env.PRIVATE_KEY]
    }
  }
};

// QIE testnet config shown; see docs.qie.digital for mainnet

EVM vs. non-EVM blockchains

The single spec that decides whether your existing code carries over.

EVM chains

QIE, Ethereum, Polygon, BNB Chain

Solidity contracts port over with minimal changes
Work with MetaMask, Hardhat, Truffle, Remix
Large, shared developer talent pool

Non-EVM chains

Solana and others

Different runtime (e.g. Solana's SVM)
Different language and wallet stack
Ethereum contracts must be rebuilt, not ported

EVM compatibility plus Cosmos architecture

QIE combines EVM compatibility with a Cosmos SDK foundation, the same framework behind the wider Cosmos ecosystem, and is IBC ready, the Inter-Blockchain Communication protocol that lets Cosmos-based chains exchange assets and data directly.

That gives your contracts the familiar Solidity and Ethereum tooling environment, plus an IBC-based path into the Cosmos ecosystem where the relevant connections exist, rather than depending solely on third-party bridges.

What this enables

A contract deployed on QIE is reached through standard Solidity calls and MetaMask-signed transactions, no different from any other EVM chain.

The IBC layer underneath gives QIE a path to interoperate with the Cosmos ecosystem directly, not just within the EVM world.

What multichain development looks like on QIE

The practical side of building on a multichain blockchain like QIE.

Reuse your EVM codebase

Your Solidity contracts deploy to QIE like they would to any EVM chain, so supporting QIE alongside Ethereum or Polygon doesn't mean maintaining an entirely separate smart-contract codebase.

IBC as a native path out

Because QIE is IBC ready, moving assets or messages toward the Cosmos ecosystem doesn't require standing up a custom third-party bridge the way it would from an EVM-only chain.

Plan for where your users are

Multichain support matters most when your users or liquidity are split across ecosystems. Build for QIE first, then expand deliberately based on where demand shows up.

Deploy your Solidity contract to QIE

Five steps from an existing Ethereum project to a live contract on an EVM compatible chain like QIE.

Connect

Add QIE as a custom network in MetaMask using the RPC URL and chain ID from the docs.

Fund

Claim free tokens from the QIE faucet to cover testnet gas.

Reconfigure

Point your existing Hardhat or Truffle config at QIE's network instead of Ethereum's.

Deploy

Run your existing deployment workflow against QIE's testnet and verify the deployment before going live.

Go live

Push to mainnet and apply for Developer Grant Program funding to extend the project.

What QIE adds beyond EVM compatibility

Being EVM-compatible is a baseline expectation now, not a differentiator. Here's what QIE adds on top of it.

EVM compatibility

Full Solidity support and standard wallet compatibility, including MetaMask, QIE Wallet, and other EVM wallets.

High throughput

A published capacity of 25,000+ TPS with finality in under 2 seconds, using Delegated Proof-of-Stake consensus on Tendermint Core.

Low fees

A target average fee of $0.0001, with 80% of every gas fee burned instead of paid out to validators.

Cosmos + IBC

IBC readiness connects your contracts to the Cosmos ecosystem in supported cases, beyond the EVM world alone.

What migrating to QIE looks like, by project type

EVM compatibility means the migration is a network change, not a rebuild.

DeFi protocol

Exchange, lending, or staking contracts redeploy with the same Solidity code. Lower fees make high-frequency actions like swaps and rebalances cheaper to run.

NFT marketplace

ERC-721 and ERC-1155 contracts typically need no changes to deploy. Lower minting costs matter most for marketplaces with frequent, high-volume listings.

DAO tooling

Governance and treasury contracts, and prior audit work, can provide a starting point for deployment, though chain-specific integrations still need review. IBC readiness adds a path to coordinate with Cosmos-based communities directly.

Grants extend to migrations

Teams migrating existing projects to QIE can apply for 5,000 to 500,000 QIE through the Developer Grant Program, mentorship included.

Apply for a Grant

5,000

QIE minimum

500,000

QIE maximum

Developer resources

Everything you need to point your existing stack at QIE.

Documentation

Full developer docs covering network setup, RPC details, and core concepts.

Read the Docs

Testnet & faucet

Free QIE testnet tokens so you can test your migration before spending real funds.

Get Testnet Tokens

Block explorer

Track transactions, blocks, and contract activity on the live QIE network.

Open Explorer

Frequently asked questions

What developers ask before moving a project to a new EVM chain.

EVM-compatible means a blockchain can run the same smart contracts and interpret the same bytecode as the Ethereum Virtual Machine, the software environment that executes Ethereum's smart contracts. In practice, that means a contract written in Solidity for Ethereum can generally be deployed to an EVM-compatible chain without a full rewrite, though the exact code changes needed depend on the chain and the contract's dependencies, and standard Ethereum tooling, MetaMask, Hardhat, Truffle, and Remix, works on that chain too.

The contract code itself typically does not change. What changes is the network configuration: point your Hardhat, Truffle, or Remix deployment script at the new chain's RPC endpoint and chain ID instead of Ethereum's, fund your deployer wallet with that chain's native token for gas, and run your existing deployment script. Testing on a testnet first, using free testnet tokens, is standard practice before deploying to any new chain's mainnet.

Yes. QIE is a fully EVM-compatible Layer 1 blockchain, meaning Solidity smart contracts, MetaMask, Hardhat, Truffle, and Remix all work on QIE without modification. QIE is built on Cosmos SDK architecture and is IBC ready, which adds interoperability options beyond the EVM ecosystem on top of that standard compatibility.

The main benefit is portability. Contracts, audits, and developer knowledge built for Ethereum transfer directly instead of requiring a rewrite in a new language. Wallets like MetaMask work without a new extension or account system, and the pool of developers who already know Solidity is far larger than for a chain-specific language. For a growing project, EVM compatibility also means less lock-in: your code isn't tied to a single chain's tooling ecosystem.

Yes. Because QIE is EVM-compatible, you add it as a custom network in MetaMask using the RPC URL and chain ID from QIE's developer documentation, just like any other EVM-compatible chain. Once added, MetaMask works with QIE exactly as it does with Ethereum, no separate wallet or extension required.

An EVM blockchain runs smart contracts through the Ethereum Virtual Machine and uses Solidity as its primary contract language, which is what lets contracts and tooling move between EVM chains without a ground-up rewrite. A non-EVM blockchain uses a different execution environment and often a different language entirely. Solana is a common example: it uses a different execution environment, the Solana Virtual Machine, with Rust commonly used for programs, so Ethereum-based contracts and tooling do not carry over without being rebuilt.

Migrate to QIE

Deploy your existing Solidity contracts on an EVM-compatible chain built for higher throughput and lower fees.

Start Building Free Read the Docs