Thorchain (RUNE): How it works and where to buy it

RUNE is the native token of the Thorchain network. Thorchain is a liquidity and interoperability system with an emphasis on facilitating secure cross-chain cryptocurrency transactions. It has a maximum supply of 500,000,000 and was introduced in 2018.

A step-by-step guide to buying RUNE

Want to buy Rune? Follow these simple steps to get involved with the Thorchain network:

Step 1. Create an account on a cryptocurrency exchange that allows you to trade RUNE
Compare a list of exchanges that support RUNE. Depending on the exchange you choose, RUNE can be traded with Australian dollars (AUD), Bitcoin (BTC), Ethereum (ETH) or a different crypto. You'll need to provide your email address and create a password to register for an account, while it's also recommended that you set up two-factor authentication to provide an extra level of security.

Step 2. Deposit funds into your account

Many cryptocurrency exchanges only allow trading between cryptocurrencies and don't allow the direct deposit of fiat currency, such as AUD, so you may need to own or buy BTC or ETH first.

The exact process for depositing funds into your account varies depending on the exchange you choose.

Step 3. Buying RUNE

The final step is to trade your chosen currency for RUNE on the exchange. Once again, the exact process you need to follow may vary slightly depending on the exchange you choose.

Where to buy RUNE

RUNE is available on a number of popular cryptocurrency exchanges, including:

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Name	Product	Deposit methods	Fiat Currencies	Cryptocurrencies
CoinSpot Cryptocurrency Exchange4.3★★★★★(297)		Bank transfer, BPAY, Cash, Cryptocurrency, POLi, PayID	AUD	351 cryptocurrencies	CoinSpot is an Australian exchange that lets you easily buy, sell and trade more than 290 cryptos.	Go to site View details	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
Digital Surge Cryptocurrency Exchange4.7★★★★★(42)		Bank transfer, Cryptocurrency, POLi, Osko, PayID	AUD	287 cryptocurrencies	Finder Exclusive: New members get $10 bonus after verification. T&Cs apply. An Australian based exchange with a focus on simplicity that allows users to purchase a range of cryptocurrencies with AUD.	Go to site View details	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
Swyftx Cryptocurrency Exchange4.0★★★★★(144)		Bank transfer, Credit card, Cryptocurrency, Debit card, Osko, PayID	AUD, NZD	312 cryptocurrencies	Finder Exclusive: Receive $10 BTC on Sign up and Verification. Buy and sell a wide range of cryptocurrencies at competitive rates on this Australian exchange.	Go to site View details	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
Binance Cryptocurrency Exchange4.8★★★★★(1983)		Credit card, Cryptocurrency, Debit card, Osko, PayID	USD, AUD, GBP, CAD, EUR, CNY, RUB, TRY, NGN, UAH & 40+ more	354 cryptocurrencies	Binance is the world’s largest exchange by trading volume. Get started with instant zero fee AUD deposits and withdrawals in Australia, and enjoy low trading fees, a wide selection of cryptocurrencies and 24/7 local customer support.	Go to site View details	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
Coinstash Cryptocurrency Exchange		Bank transfer, Cryptocurrency, PayID	AUD	251 cryptocurrencies	Buy 250+ different cryptocurrencies using AUD with competitive trading fees on this Australian-owned and operated exchange.	Go to site View details	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
Cointree Cryptocurrency Exchange2.8★★★★★(4)		Cash, Cryptocurrency, POLi, PayID, Online banking	AUD	266 cryptocurrencies	Buy 260+ cryptocurrencies with fast-growth portfolio insights, and the ability to swap any coin to any other instantly.	Go to site View details	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
FTX Cryptocurrency Exchange		Credit card, Wire transfer, Silvergate Exchange Network (SEN), Signature SIGNET	USD,EUR,GBP,AUD,HKD,SGD,TRY,ZAR,CAD,CHF,BRL	241 cryptocurrencies	Sign up through Finder for a 5% discount on all trading fees. T&Cs apply. FTX is an exchange built by traders for traders, with a range of derivatives markets such as options and futures with deep leverage, in addition to standard spot markets. Note: Not available for US customers.	Go to site View details	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
KuCoin Cryptocurrency Exchange		Cryptocurrency, PayPal, Wire transfer, Credit or Debit Card, SEPA	USD, EUR, GBP, RUB, CNY, AUD, KRW, JPY, TRY, VND & 40+ more	496 cryptocurrencies	Finder exclusive: Sign up and use code 1xf56 for one month of VIP 1 benefits. Deposit\/transfer more than 0.1 BTC to KuCoin within 7 days of registration for 1 month of VIP 2 benefits. T&Cs apply. Browse a variety of coin offerings in one of the largest multi-cryptocurrency exchanges and pay in cryptocurrency.	Go to site View details	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
Gate.io Cryptocurrency Exchange		Cryptocurrency	USD, EUR, GBP, HKD, SGD, AUD, CHF, MXN	958 cryptocurrencies	Finder exclusive: New users get $90 worth of Gate.IO points and an airdrop of $5 in GateTokens if trade volume exceeds $100 in their first week. T&Cs apply. A feature-rich exchange with over 700 tokens including derivatives, yield farming and lending products.	Go to site View details	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
Crypto.com App		Credit card, Cryptocurrency, PayPal, TransferWise, SEPA	USD, AUD, CAD, CHF, EUR, GBP, NZD, SGD, JPY, ZAR & 9+ more	214 cryptocurrencies	Buy 200+ cryptocurrencies, earn up to 14.5% p.a. on holdings, pay with your crypto for cashback at stores, get loans and more with this complete crypto-finance platform.	Go to site View details	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
Easy Crypto Cryptocurrency Exchange		Bank transfer, Cryptocurrency, POLi	AUD	151 cryptocurrencies	Easy Crypto is a simple way to buy and sell a range of cryptocurrencies, straight to and from your own crypto wallet.	Go to site View details	Compare	loading Fetching your data...

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How does Thorchain work?

Thorchain's goal is simple: build bridges to enable anyone to securely and cheaply move any assets between any blockchains.

Although similar to other cross-chain compatibility systems, such as wrapped Bitcoin (wBTC), Thorchain aims to enable the movement of the assets themselves on their home chains.

The first part of Thorchain's solution is liquidity pools, all of which are composed of RUNE tokens in combination with other assets.

These pools serve as the source of all the different swappable coins from different blockchains, while the RUNE token acts as an intermediary currency to allow swapping between any two supported assets. Basically, whenever an end user wants to swap an asset from one blockchain to another, they're making a trade through these pools.

In addition to providing the liquidity necessary for the system to work, Thorchain also uses its liquidity pools for pricing data, under the assumption that any discrepancies between its liquidity pools and other markets will be arbitraged out quickly.

The other part of Thorchain's solution is the nodes, whose job it is to provide security to the network, to build bridges to all the different supported blockchains and to ensure that all transactions are broadcast to the appropriate chains.

Basically, the nodes all keep one eye on the liquidity pools and another eye on the supported blockchains. When someone makes a cross-chain transaction using the liquidity pools, the nodes see it happen and then perform the actual on-chain transactions on the user's behalf.

Nodes are theoretically kept honest through their staking of RUNE tokens, so the system can act as a convenient one-stop shop for someone's cross-chain transfer needs.

What does the RUNE token do

The RUNE token serves two key purposes in the Thorchain network:

1. The token is found in all Thorchain liquidity pools, to create an intermediary asset for use across all of them, greasing the wheels for transfers.
2. It acts as an incentive and penalty mechanism, helping ensure that nodes are honest in their behaviour and their reporting of transactions on different chains.