An EVM-compatible blockchain on Polkadot, Moonbeam delivers seamless Ethereum tooling and native cross-chain interoperability via XCM and XC-20 tokens at low cost.
Moonbeam is an EVM-compatible smart-contract parachain on Polkadot Mainnet (GLMR) that lets Ethereum apps deploy with minimal changes while gaining native cross-chain functionality. Primary use cases include cross-chain DeFi and payments, omnichain dApps using XCM and bridges (e.g., Axelar, Wormhole, LayerZero), asset routing with XC-20 tokens, and multichain NFTs and gaming tapping Polkadot’s shared security and liquidity.
Moonbeam’s edge is “connected contracts”: Ethereum-compatible smart contracts with native cross-chain messaging (XCM), XC-20 tokens that behave like ERC-20s, and Substrate precompiles for cross-chain calls and staking—capabilities most EVM L1s/rollups don’t offer. For performance, Moonbeam targets ~12s block times with fast finality via Polkadot, typical gas fees under a few cents per transaction, practical throughput in the low-hundreds of TPS (workload-dependent), and steady activity in the tens of thousands of daily transactions—delivering low-cost, predictable execution versus many standalone L1s.
Moonbeam uses GLMR as the gas token for transaction fees. You can obtain GLMR by bridging from other chains or purchasing using thirdweb Bridge.
To bridge GLMR to Moonbeam, connect your wallet to thirdweb bridge, select your source chain, choose the token you want to bridge, select Moonbeam as the destination, enter the amount, and confirm the transaction. The bridge will handle the cross-chain transfer instantly.
To build on Moonbeam you can use thirdweb, which provides an easy way to build, monetize and scale your apps, games or agents. You can find detailed guides and documentation on https://portal.thirdweb.com to get started quickly.
To add Moonbeam to your wallet, you can connect your wallet and click on [Add to Wallet] button at the top of the page. Alternatively, you can add the network manually using the RPC URL and chain details and add it to your wallet's network settings.
To send GLMR on Moonbeam, ensure your wallet is connected to the Moonbeam network, enter the recipient's address, specify the amount of GLMR to send, review the gas fee, and confirm the transaction in your wallet.
