What is Ontology Gas (ONG)?

Deep Dive

1. Dual-Token Model & Core Utility

ONG operates within a dual-token model alongside ONT. While ONT is used for network governance and staking, ONG is the utility token required to pay for transaction fees ("gas") and execute smart contracts. This separation helps stabilize transaction costs, insulating them from the price volatility of the governance asset. Every action on the chain, from sending assets to running decentralized applications (dApps), consumes ONG.

2. Tokenomics & Supply Mechanics

ONG's economics are designed for predictability. Following a community vote in late 2025, its total supply was permanently capped at 800 million (Cryptopotato), with 200 million tokens burned to establish the new limit. New ONG is released at a constant rate of 1 token per second over 19 years, with 80% allocated to reward ONT stakers. Furthermore, a January 2026 governance decision reduced on-chain gas fees by 80% (TradingView), making network usage more cost-effective.

3. Ecosystem: Digital Identity & Data Sovereignty

ONG's utility is tied to Ontology's primary focus: decentralized identity and data. The ecosystem features ONT ID, a framework for user-controlled digital identifiers, and ONTO Wallet, which is evolving from a crypto wallet into a "data monetisation engine". Here, users can leverage verified credentials and reputation to access services or earn rewards, putting control of personal data back in the user's hands. This positions ONG as the fuel for a user-owned data economy.

Conclusion

Ontology Gas is fundamentally the operational fuel for a blockchain built to give users control over their digital identity and data. Its structured tokenomics and specific utility within a growing identity-focused ecosystem define its core purpose. Will its role in powering data sovereignty become a critical infrastructure for the AI and Web3 era?