Hedera's network is revolutionizing the blockchain space, offering an innovative alternative to traditional technology. With 10,000 transactions per second and minimal fees, Hedera is gaining traction among global investors and businesses. Let's delve into a comprehensive analysis of this cryptocurrency aiming to redefine industry standards.
The Hedera network, officially known as Hedera Hashgraph, is a public distributed ledger that radically differs from conventional blockchains. Launched in 2019, this ambitious project is built on a unique technology called Hashgraph, invented by American computer scientist Leemon Baird in the mid-2010s.
Unlike traditional blockchains that organize data in sequential blocks, Hedera uses a directed acyclic graph (DAG) data structure that enables parallel transaction processing. This revolutionary approach eliminates the need for miners and achieves an asynchronous Byzantine Fault Tolerant (aBFT) consensus, considered the highest level of security attainable in distributed systems.
The network’s native cryptocurrency, HBAR (symbolized by ℏ in reference to Planck’s constant), serves both as a payment method for transaction fees and as a network security mechanism through staking. With a maximum supply limited to 50 billion tokens, HBAR features a deflationary economy designed to preserve long-term value.
One of Hedera’s most remarkable characteristics lies in its unique governance. The network is overseen by the Hedera Governing Council, a consortium composed of major global companies including Google Cloud, IBM, Deutsche Telekom, and Tata Communications. This corporate governance structure ensures institutional stability and legitimacy rare in this sector.
The story of Hedera begins in computer research laboratories in the mid-2010s, when Leemon Baird developed the theoretical foundations of the Hashgraph algorithm. This technological innovation was born from a thorough reflection on the inherent limitations of existing blockchains, particularly their inability to simultaneously reconcile speed, security, and decentralization.
In 2016, Baird partnered with Mance Harmon to found Swirlds, the company holding the Hashgraph patents. The Hedera project truly took shape in 2018, marked by a historic fundraising of $124 million through a SAFT token sale mechanism.
This period of intensive development culminated in the launch of the Hedera mainnet in September 2019. The year 2020 was a major turning point with Google Cloud joining the Hedera Governing Council, followed in 2021 by EFTPOS. A particularly significant event occurred in 2022 when the Hedera Governing Council voted to acquire the Hashgraph patents, thus releasing the technology under the Apache open-source license.
The most recent evolution occurred in September 2024 with the transfer of all Hedera source code to the Linux Foundation under the project name Hiero.
Dr. Leemon Baird is universally recognized as the inventor of the Hashgraph algorithm and the technical brain behind the Hedera network. Holding a PhD in Computer Science from Carnegie Mellon University, Baird possesses deep expertise in distributed systems, cryptography, and algorithm theory.
Co-founder Mance Harmon brings complementary expertise in business strategy and commercial development. This combination of advanced technical skills and business acumen largely explains Hedera’s success with enterprises.
Hedera’s governance philosophy reflects its creators’ vision: rather than relying on a single figure, the project banks on collective governance involving the world’s largest institutions. Today, the operational governance of the network is provided by the Hedera Governing Council and, since 2024, by the Linux Foundation as part of the Hiero project.
The cryptocurrency HBAR fulfills several essential functions within the Hedera ecosystem, forming the economic and security backbone of the network. Unlike many speculative cryptocurrencies, HBAR has concrete and measurable utility that justifies its intrinsic value.
The primary function of HBAR is to serve as fuel for transactions on the Hedera network. Each operation performed on the platform requires payment of fees in HBAR. These fees, remarkably low (between $0.0001 and $0.01 per transaction), make the network accessible for applications requiring high volumes of micro-transactions.
The second major utility of HBAR lies in securing the network through the staking mechanism. HBAR holders can delegate their tokens to validator nodes, thus contributing to consensus and network security. In exchange for this participation, they receive rewards in the form of new HBAR tokens.
HBAR also plays a crucial role in network governance. While major strategic decisions are made by the Hedera Governing Council, HBAR holders participate in certain aspects of decentralized governance.
The use cases for HBAR extend well beyond simple transactions, powering sophisticated decentralized applications across various domains. In decentralized finance (DeFi), HBAR facilitates decentralized exchanges, lending protocols, and liquidity pools with negligible costs.
Finally, digital identity applications leverage aBFT security to create tamper-proof authentication systems, while government applications use Hedera for electronic voting transparency and official document management. This diversity of applications demonstrates HBAR’s versatility beyond simple financial speculation.
The Hedera network relies on a revolutionary technical architecture that fundamentally distinguishes it from traditional blockchains. At the heart of this innovation is the Hashgraph consensus algorithm, a technology that abandons the linear structure of blocks in favor of a directed acyclic graph (DAG) allowing parallel and asynchronous transaction processing.
The Hashgraph algorithm operates according to a principle called “gossip about gossip“. Each node in the network communicates randomly with other nodes, sharing not only new transactions but also the history of its previous communications. This method naturally creates a dependency graph that determines the chronological order of events without requiring an explicit consensus mechanism.
Unlike blockchains that require a miner or validator to be chosen to propose the next block, Hashgraph allows all nodes to contribute simultaneously to consensus. This approach eliminates bottlenecks and achieves exceptional performance: 10,000 transactions per second with finality in less than 3 seconds.
Hashgraph’s aBFT (asynchronous Byzantine Fault Tolerant) consensus guarantees that the network remains secure even if up to one-third of nodes are compromised or malicious. This property offers the highest level of security theoretically achievable in a distributed system.
The Hedera network is organized around several functional layers working in synergy to provide a complete and versatile platform. The Hedera Consensus Service (HCS) allows external applications to use Hashgraph consensus without requiring modification to their existing architecture, transforming Hedera into a universal “trust layer”.
The Hedera Token Service (HTS) significantly simplifies the creation and management of custom tokens, unlike Ethereum where token creation requires deploying complex smart contracts.
The Hedera File Service (HFS) offers an integrated decentralized storage system, allowing applications to store files directly on the network with integrity and availability guarantees.
Finally, one of Hedera’s major strengths lies in its EVM compatibility (Ethereum Virtual Machine). This feature allows developers to deploy their existing Solidity smart contracts on Hedera without modification, while benefiting from the network’s superior performance. This compatibility accelerates adoption by developers, creating a natural bridge to the most developed blockchain ecosystem.
Let’s now examine the strengths and areas for improvement of Hedera.
Analyzing HBAR’s price reveals a complex trajectory influenced by crypto market cycles and technological adoption. Since its launch in 2019, HBAR has experienced several distinct phases reflecting the project’s progressive maturation.
The token began its public listing around $0.05. The period 2020-2021 marked HBAR’s golden age with a historical peak reaching $0.57 in September 2021, representing more than a 10-fold increase since its launch.
The correction of 2022 brought HBAR back to more modest levels, oscillating between $0.05 and $0.15. The year 2024 marked a renewal with a peak at $0.18 in April and another at almost $0.40 at the end of the year. At the time of writing, its price varies between $0.15 and $0.18.
Crypto analysts present varied forecasts for HBAR in 2025, reflecting the inherent uncertainty of markets while recognizing Hedera’s unique technical potential. Changelly anticipates a price around $0.19 for August 2024, suggesting moderate but stable growth based on progressive adoption rather than pure speculation.
Benzinga presents a more optimistic vision with potential up to $0.80 by 2025, based on the hypothesis of massive enterprise adoption and growing recognition of Hedera’s technical advantages. DigitalCoinPrice proposes an intermediate range with a target of $0.38, representing a potential gain of 115%.
Finally, CoinDCX suggests a range between $0.15 and $0.30 for 2025, while Coinpedia mentions a potential peak at $0.75 by the end of 2025. Keep in mind that these predictions do not replace a complete analysis of the project and the HBAR token. We always encourage you to do your own research before any investment.
2015 : Leemon Baird conceptualizes the first elements of the Hashgraph algorithm in his academic research.
2016 : Meeting between Baird and Mance Harmon, foundation of Swirlds and beginning of Hashgraph’s commercial development.
2017 : Publication of the first technical papers detailing the Hashgraph algorithm, establishing the project’s scientific credibility.
2018 : Official launch of the Hedera project and historic fundraising of $124 million via SAFT.
2019 : Launch of the Hedera mainnet on September 13, marking the official entry into the crypto ecosystem.
2020 : Google Cloud joins the Hedera Governing Council in February, bringing major institutional legitimacy.
2021 : EFTPOS joins the Governing Council and HBAR reaches a historic price peak of $0.57 in September.
2022 : Acquisition of Hashgraph patents by the Hedera Governing Council and transition to open-source under the Apache license.
2023 : Focus on real-world adoption with several major enterprise projects choosing Hedera as their infrastructure.
2024 : Transfer of source code to the Linux Foundation on September 16, creation of the Hiero project, and introduction of “Frictionless Airdrops”.
Acquiring HBAR tokens is an essential step for those wanting to invest in the project, participate in its governance, or use applications in its ecosystem. Due to its growing market capitalization and popularity, the HBAR token is available on most centralized exchange platforms (CEX).
These platforms allow you to buy HBAR directly with euros or dollars via different payment methods (bank card, wire transfer). Here is our ranking of the best platforms in 2025 :
It’s important to distinguish between specialized exchange platforms (like those mentioned above) where you actually buy and hold cryptocurrencies, and brokers that sometimes offer derivative products like CFDs (Contracts For Difference) on cryptocurrencies. For direct ownership and total control of your assets, it’s preferable to use a specialized exchange platform.
Here’s how to buy Hedera in 5 steps on the best platform in our ranking.
Choose a platform that meets your needs in terms of fees, security, ease of use, and regulatory compliance in your jurisdiction.
Once you’ve acquired HBAR tokens, the question of their secure storage becomes paramount. Leaving your cryptocurrencies on an exchange platform (CEX) involves significant risks: you don’t directly control your private keys, and your funds could be lost in case of platform hacking, regulatory issues, or company bankruptcy.
This is why it’s strongly recommended to transfer your HBAR to a personal wallet where you alone hold the private keys. “Not your keys, not your coins” is a fundamental adage in the ecosystem.
There are mainly two types of wallets for storing your HBAR :
The choice between a cold wallet and a hot wallet depends on your specific needs: favor a cold wallet (like Ledger) for maximum security of your main investments, and possibly use a hot wallet (like MetaMask or Trust Wallet) for smaller amounts intended for regular interactions with Hedera’s or Ethereum’s DeFi ecosystem. The essential thing is to always carefully secure your recovery phrase (seed phrase) and never share it or store it digitally.
Obtaining free HBAR remains possible through several legitimate mechanisms. Airdrops constitute the most common method, with Hedera having introduced the concept of “Frictionless Airdrops” via HIP-904.
The Hedera Testnet Faucet offers 100 free HBAR to developers wishing to test their applications. Also, hackathons and contests organized by the Hedera Foundation regularly distribute prizes in HBAR.
Finally, staking HBAR generates passive rewards for holders participating in securing the network. Nevertheless, vigilance remains essential in the face of numerous scams. Watch out for obvious red flags: legitimate airdrops never ask for payment in advance, for example.
The legality of HBAR varies by jurisdiction, but the cryptocurrency enjoys favorable status in most developed countries. In the European Union, HBAR is considered a legal digital asset under the MiCA regulatory framework. France explicitly authorizes trading and holding HBAR.
In the United States, HBAR is not classified as a security by the SEC, so it is also in a favorable position.
Hedera’s governance by established companies facilitates its regulatory compliance. The Hiero project under the Linux Foundation’s aegis reinforces this legitimacy. HBAR taxation generally follows the rules applicable to cryptocurrencies in each jurisdiction. We also invite you to consult with professionals.
The distribution of HBAR reveals a significant concentration among certain holders. The Hedera Treasury constitutes the largest holder with several billion tokens reserved for ecosystem development.
On-chain analysis reveals more than 123 addresses each holding more than 100 million HBAR. The recent accumulation by these whales suggests growing confidence in Hedera’s potential.
The Governing Council companies likely hold strategic positions in HBAR, as do exchange platform wallets like Binance, Bybit, Coinbase, and others.
Hedera has definitively proven the technical superiority of its Hashgraph approach, and its energy efficiency also constitutes a decisive competitive advantage. Moreover, the institutional adoption of Hedera now exceeds the experimental stage, with several giants actively using the infrastructure for critical use cases.
Hedera represents a quality investment for diversified crypto portfolios, particularly suited to investors who prioritize technology and real-world adoption. The long-term potential of HBAR remains considerable, supported by solid technical fundamentals and growing adoption. The recommended investment strategy therefore consists of progressive accumulation during consolidation phases.
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Hedera uses the Hashgraph algorithm instead of a traditional blockchain, enabling 10,000 transactions per second with fees as low as $0.0001. This technology delivers instant finality and aBFT security superior to classic blockchains.
HBAR shows promising potential with price forecasts ranging between $0.15 and $0.80 for 2025. Growing institutional adoption and governance by major companies like Google and IBM strengthen its long-term outlook.
You can buy HBAR on platforms such as Binance, Coinbase, or Crypto.com after completing identity verification. Use two-factor authentication (2FA) and transfer your tokens to a personal wallet like HashPack or Ledger for maximum security.
Yes, through Hedera project airdrops, the testnet faucet (offering 100 test HBAR), and staking rewards. Beware of fake airdrops that request upfront payments.
HBAR is fully legal in France under MiCA regulations. Gains are subject to tax under the capital gains regime. Hedera’s transparent governance facilitates regulatory compliance.
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