Band Protocol connects smart contracts with trusted off-chain
information, provided through community-curated data providers.
Band Protocol (BAND) is a cross-chain data oracle that connects real-world information — like sports scores, stock prices, and weather data — to smart contracts on various blockchains. In simple terms, it acts as a reliable bridge between what happens off-chain and what blockchains can actually use. The BAND token powers the network, serving as collateral for data providers and as a means of payment for data requests.
Band Protocol is a decentralized oracle network that feeds external data to smart contracts, much like Chainlink. Its main distinction is a strong focus on cross-chain compatibility — it's built to serve blockchains beyond Ethereum, including Cosmos-based networks, using the Cosmos SDK and Tendermint consensus. This design allows faster data delivery and lower fees compared to many Ethereum-only alternatives.
Band runs on BandChain, built with the Cosmos SDK, using Tendermint delegated proof-of-stake consensus. Data providers stake BAND tokens as collateral and get rewarded for supplying accurate data, while bad actors lose their stake. Validators aggregate requested data into oracle scripts, and results are delivered to requesting blockchains in a verifiable way.
BAND has a fixed maximum supply, with new tokens issued as block rewards to validators and delegators who secure the oracle network. A significant portion of the total supply was allocated to the team, ecosystem development, and private and public sales at launch. Staking rewards come from this emission schedule, which decreases over time.
BAND can be stored in wallets supporting Cosmos-based assets, such as Keplr, Cosmos Hub-compatible wallets, and Ledger hardware devices. Holding BAND lets you stake it to earn rewards and help secure the network, or delegate to validators. The token is also used to pay for data requests on the BandChain network.