EVM-compatible Layer 1

Build on an EVM-Compatible Blockchain

QIE runs full EVM compatibility on top of a Cosmos SDK foundation. Deploy your existing Solidity contracts as-is, keep MetaMask and Hardhat, and get IBC interoperability the EVM alone doesn't give you.

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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 that same bytecode. That means a Solidity contract written and tested for Ethereum deploys to that chain without being rewritten, 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 actually pushes teams to look elsewhere.

Cost

Ethereum's own current average fee sits around $0.17 per transaction, and it climbs further during congestion, exactly when your users are most active.

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

Same development experience, different foundation underneath it.

Full Solidity support

Write and deploy contracts exactly as you would on Ethereum, on a fully Solidity-compatible blockchain. No new language, no custom VM to learn.

Performance

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

Predictable cost

An average fee of $0.0001, with 80% of every gas fee burned rather than paid out, keeping costs stable as usage grows.

Built-in interoperability

Cosmos SDK architecture and IBC readiness give your contracts a path beyond the EVM ecosystem alone, without a third-party bridge.

Bring your existing EVM stack to QIE

If you already have a Solidity contract and a MetaMask-based frontend, you already have what you need. The contract logic doesn't change. Your wallet connection doesn't change. 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, the same way you'd add any other EVM chain. 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

  • Run Solidity contracts unchanged
  • Work with MetaMask, Hardhat, Truffle, Remix
  • Existing audits and tooling transfer
  • Large, shared developer talent pool
vs

Non-EVM chains

Solana and others

  • Run their own virtual machine (e.g. Solana's SVM)
  • Require a different language (e.g. Rust)
  • Need separate wallet integrations
  • Existing Ethereum contracts must be rebuilt, not ported

EVM compatibility plus Cosmos architecture

Most EVM chains are EVM chains and nothing else. QIE is also a Cosmos blockchain, built on Cosmos SDK, 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 combination means your contracts get standard EVM compatibility for the tooling and talent pool, plus a foundation designed for cross-chain communication that most EVM-only chains have to add through third-party bridges instead.

What this unlocks

A contract deployed on QIE can be reached the same way any EVM contract is reached, through standard Solidity calls and MetaMask-signed transactions.

The IBC layer underneath is what gives QIE a path to interoperate with the Cosmos ecosystem directly, rather than only within the EVM world.

What multichain development looks like on QIE

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

One codebase, EVM reach

Your Solidity contracts deploy to QIE the same way they'd deploy to any EVM chain, so supporting QIE alongside Ethereum or Polygon doesn't mean maintaining separate code.

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 actually 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.

01

Connect

Add QIE as a custom network in MetaMask using the RPC URL and chain ID from the docs.
02

Fund

Claim free tokens from the QIE faucet to cover testnet gas.
03

Reconfigure

Point your existing Hardhat or Truffle config at QIE's network instead of Ethereum's.
04

Deploy

Run your existing deployment script unchanged and verify on testnet first.
05

Go live

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

Why EVM compatibility isn't enough on its own

Being EVM-compatible is table stakes now, not a differentiator. Here's what actually differs between QIE and a typical EVM chain once you get past that.

DimensionTypical EVM chainQIE
Solidity / EVM supportFullFull
Wallet supportMetaMask and standard EVM walletsMetaMask, QIE Wallet, and standard EVM wallets
ConsensusVaries by chainDelegated Proof-of-Stake (Tendermint Core)
Fee modelPaid to validators, varies by chain$0.0001 avg., 80% of gas burned
Non-EVM interoperabilityRequires a third-party bridgeNative, via Cosmos SDK and IBC

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 work unchanged. Lower minting costs matter most for marketplaces with frequent, high-volume listings.

DAO tooling

Governance and treasury contracts port over with existing audits intact. IBC readiness adds a path to coordinate with Cosmos-based communities directly.

Grants for teams migrating to QIE

The Developer Grant Program funds QIE projects, including migrations, from 5,000 to 500,000 QIE, with 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 be deployed to any EVM-compatible chain without being rewritten, and standard Ethereum tooling, MetaMask, Hardhat, Truffle, and Remix, works the same way 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 can add QIE as a custom network in MetaMask using the RPC URL and chain ID from QIE's developer documentation, the same way you would add 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 rewrites. A non-EVM blockchain uses a different execution environment and often a different language entirely. Solana is a common example: it uses its own runtime, the Solana Virtual Machine, and contracts are written in Rust, so Ethereum-based contracts and tooling do not carry over without being rebuilt.

Among EVM chains with independently measured figures, per chainspect.app data checked August 31, 2026, BNB Chain currently has the fastest measured block finality among the group at roughly 650 milliseconds, ahead of Polygon at roughly 5 seconds and Ethereum at roughly 12 to 13 minutes for full finality. QIE publishes a finality target of under 2 seconds, which would place it between BNB Chain and Polygon, but that figure comes from QIE's own documentation rather than independent monitoring, since QIE is not yet tracked by the same services as the other three.

Build on QIE's EVM-Compatible Blockchain

Full Solidity and MetaMask support, Cosmos SDK interoperability, and a Developer Grant Program waiting for your project.

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