# Pearl network guide

https://www.learnpearl.org/network/ · Checked October 20, 2026 · Intermediate

Pearl’s numbers come in two kinds: fixed parameters written into the code, and live metrics that change with every block. This page keeps them apart and says what each one means.

## Key takeaways

- Fixed: a 194-second block target, 2.1 billion PRL, prl1 addresses, difficulty that adjusts every block.
- Live: height, block times, difficulty and fees move constantly; always check the source and time.
- “Hashrate” on explorers is derived from difficulty, not a measurement of useful work.
- One confirmation isn’t final. Wait longer for larger amounts.

## Right now

_[Live panel: current block height, next block reward and PRL issued. See https://www.learnpearl.org/live-status/.]_

## Fixed parameters

- **Target block interval:** 194 seconds
- **Maximum supply:** 2.1 billion PRL
- **Smallest unit:** 1 grain · 10⁻⁸ PRL
- **Difficulty rule:** WTEMA · Every block, one-week time constant
- **Coinbase maturity:** 100 blocks
- **Fee market:** First price · No burn, no base fee
- **Allowed outputs:** Taproot, P2MR, data · Legacy formats are invalid
- **Address prefix:** prl1… · Bech32m; tprl1… on testnets, rprl1… on regtest
- **Certificate size:** ≤ 65,000 bytes · Carried with each header
- **Peer port:** 44108 · RPC 44107
- **Future-time limit:** 5 minutes · Ahead of network-adjusted time
- **Latest checkpoint:** Block 120,000 · In v1.5.x releases

## Live metrics to verify

- The current block height and the time of the latest accepted block.
- The observed block interval over more than one short window.
- Network difficulty, and how any “hashrate” figure is derived from it.
- The current block reward (it follows from the height: see the [emission explorer](https://www.learnpearl.org/tools/emission-schedule/)).
- Transaction count, fee levels and mempool size.
- Pool concentration, and how much work comes from unidentified miners.

> **A number without a source is decoration.** Early-network explorers can disagree because of indexing delays, different units or a partial view of peers. Check important figures against your own node or more than one explorer, such as the [official explorer](https://explorer.pearlresearch.ai).

## Addresses and custody

Pearl drops Bitcoin’s older address formats. Its wallet creates Taproot addresses only, written in Bech32m and starting with prl1. Consensus also accepts P2MR (pay-to-Merkle-root) outputs, which the reference wallet doesn’t create. A valid-looking string still isn’t enough: wallets and services must agree they’re on the Pearl network.

Pearl’s script includes an XMSS post-quantum signature check, and the wallet can commit XMSS keys into a Taproot address. The original whitepaper described that check as disabled; the released code implements it. Either way, ordinary wallet spends use regular Taproot keys, so “post-quantum ready” should not be shortened to “post-quantum secure”.

## Fees and confirmation

Transactions compete for block space in a first-price fee market: miners fill blocks with the highest fee rates first. Your wallet estimates a fee, but confirmation time depends on demand, block production and which transactions miners pick.

One block is not finality. The right number of confirmations depends on the amount, the network’s conditions, the risk of a reorganization and the receiving service’s policy.

## Sources

- [Pearl monorepo on GitHub](https://github.com/pearl-research-labs/pearl) (Pearl Research Labs, primary)
- [Pearl INT whitepaper (the scheme mainnet runs)](https://pearlresearch.ai/research/int-whitepaper) (Pearl Research Labs, primary)
- [Official Pearl block explorer](https://explorer.pearlresearch.ai) (Pearl Research Labs, primary)
- [Pearl v1.5.2 release notes](https://github.com/pearl-research-labs/pearl/releases/tag/v1.5.2) (Pearl Research Labs, primary)