Gnosis evolved from a prediction market protocol into a full EVM blockchain (Gnosis Chain) and the creator of Gnosis Safe (now just 'Safe') — the dominant multi-signature wallet securing over $100 billion in crypto assets. Safe is used by virtually every major DAO, protocol treasury, and institutional crypto operation to require multiple signatures for transactions. Gnosis Chain is a community-owned network validated with GNO staking that runs Ethereum client software (identical to Ethereum's execution layer) with 5-second blocks and minimal fees. This unique approach — running Ethereum clients on a separate chain — means Gnosis Chain is maximally compatible with Ethereum while providing faster, cheaper transactions. The combination of Safe (the most trusted multi-sig) and Gnosis Chain (a performant EVM chain) creates a unique infrastructure portfolio. GNO captures value from both: staking secures the chain, and Safe's success validates Gnosis's infrastructure expertise.
Martin Köppelmann and Stefan George founded Gnosis in 2015 as a prediction market on Ethereum. Gnosis Safe launched in 2018 and grew to secure $100B+ in assets. The xDai chain (a stablecoin-focused sidechain) merged with Gnosis to become Gnosis Chain. Safe spun out as an independent entity but remains closely associated with Gnosis. GNO transitioned from a utility token to a staking asset for Gnosis Chain.
Gnosis Chain uses the Beacon Chain consensus mechanism with GNO staking. Validators stake 1 GNO (much lower than Ethereum's 32 ETH requirement) to participate. The chain runs Ethereum clients (Nethermind, Erigon) with modified parameters for faster blocks and lower fees. Full EVM compatibility means all Ethereum tools, contracts, and dApps work on Gnosis Chain. Safe (formerly Gnosis Safe) is a modular smart account platform where transactions require M-of-N signatures from designated owners. It supports transaction batching, spending limits, recovery modules, and integration with virtually every DeFi protocol.
GNO has a total supply of approximately 3 million tokens — one of the smallest supplies among L1/L2 platforms. GNO is staked to validate Gnosis Chain (1 GNO minimum per validator). The extremely limited supply combined with staking lock-ups creates significant scarcity.
Gnosis Safe secures $100B+ for major DAOs and protocols — the most trusted multi-sig in crypto.
~3 million total GNO is among the scarcest L1 tokens — extreme supply constraint.
Running the same software as Ethereum ensures maximum compatibility and benefits from Ethereum's development.
1 GNO minimum to validate vs Ethereum's 32 ETH — democratized validation.
Gnosis Chain's DeFi TVL and dApp ecosystem are modest compared to major L1s and L2s.
Safe operates independently — GNO doesn't directly capture Safe's value or revenue.
Arbitrum, Optimism, and Base attract more attention and developer activity.
Despite Safe's ubiquity, Gnosis Chain has low brand recognition among retail crypto users.
Gnosis Safe (now just 'Safe') is a multi-signature wallet where transactions require multiple approvals before executing. It secures over $100 billion in crypto assets and is used by virtually every major DAO, protocol treasury, and institutional operation. Safe spun out as an independent entity but originated from Gnosis.
GNO launched with ~10 million tokens and buybacks reduced circulating supply to approximately 3 million. This wasn't a design mistake — it creates extreme scarcity. Combined with staking lock-ups, the effective circulating supply is even smaller.
Gnosis Chain is technically a separate L1 (not an L2), though it runs Ethereum clients. L2s like Arbitrum and Optimism settle on Ethereum for security. Gnosis Chain has its own validators and security model. L2s have larger ecosystems but Gnosis Chain offers lower costs and faster blocks. The trade-off is independent security vs inherited Ethereum security.
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