An Axelar wallet holds native AXL, the coin of the Axelar network, at an address that starts with axelar1. Axelar is a Cosmos SDK chain whose validators carry tokens and messages between other blockchains, and AXL is the stake that secures that work. With the right wallet you can hold it, send it and delegate it to a validator for rewards.
The catch is that AXL exists in more than one form. The same coin also circulates as an ERC-20 token called wAXL on Ethereum and other EVM networks, but only the native version earns staking rewards. Mixing those two up, or leaving out an exchange memo, is how AXL usually gets lost or stuck. Figures below are as of October 24, 2026, and most come straight from the chain's own parameters.
Axelar at a glance#
Item | Axelar |
|---|---|
Native coin | AXL (1 AXL = 1,000,000 uaxl) |
Chain ID |
|
Address format | Bech32 with a checksum, starts with |
Derivation path |
|
Network fee | Paid in AXL; about 0.001 AXL for a transfer (gas price floor 0.007 uaxl) |
Block time | About 1.7 seconds, final as soon as a block is committed |
Unbonding period | 7 days |
Validators | 42 active of 75 slots (October 2026) |
Other forms of AXL | wAXL (ERC-20 on EVM networks) and IBC AXL on other Cosmos chains |
Explorers | Mintscan for the chain, Axelarscan for cross-chain transfers |
In Keylo | Send and receive with memos, native tokens, history and staking. No swaps, bridges, cross-chain transfers or dapp connections |
How an Axelar wallet works#
The Axelar chain keeps every balance. Your wallet keeps the private key that signs for your address, so whoever holds that key controls the AXL. Validators on Axelar also watch the chains it connects and vote on the transfers they see, which is why the network needs AXL bonded behind them.
Your Axelar wallet address#
An Axelar address is 45 characters long and starts with axelar1. Its Bech32 encoding includes a checksum, so one wrong character usually makes the address invalid instead of sending coins to a stranger.
Keylo derives it on m/44'/118'/0'/0/0, the path Keplr uses for Axelar. The same path also gives your Cosmos Hub, Osmosis and Juno addresses. They share a key but not a balance, because each prefix belongs to a different chain.
Native AXL, wAXL and axl tokens#
Three kinds of asset carry Axelar's name, and they behave differently:
Native AXL lives on the Axelar chain at an
axelar1address. It pays fees on Axelar and it's the only form you can stake.wAXL is an ERC-20 token on Ethereum and other EVM networks. Axelar holds native AXL in its gateway and issues wAXL one for one. It sits at a
0xaddress, and exchanges don't all use the same ticker for it, so read the network field.IBC AXL is native AXL moved to another Cosmos chain, such as Osmosis. It then belongs to your address on that chain until someone transfers it back.
Tokens with an axl prefix, such as axlUSDC, are other assets that Axelar carried into Cosmos, backed by originals in its gateway contracts. They aren't the same as USDC issued directly, so check which one an exchange or app expects.
How to choose the best Axelar wallet#
Any wallet that supports the Axelar chain can hold native AXL, but they suit different people.
Cosmos extension and mobile wallets. Keplr is a browser extension and mobile app with staking and hardware wallet pairing, and it connects to Cosmos apps. Leap was another common choice until it shut its apps down by May 28, 2026.
EVM wallets. MetaMask and similar wallets can hold wAXL on Ethereum, but they can't see or stake native AXL.
Hardware (cold) wallets. A device such as a Ledger keeps the key offline and pairs with a software wallet like Keplr, which suits a large stake.
Exchange accounts. The exchange holds the keys and decides when you can withdraw.
Web wallets. These run in a browser tab with nothing to install. Keylo is one.
A good Axelar wallet rejects addresses that don't start with axelar1, offers a memo field for exchange deposits, and shows the unbonding period before you unstake. It also uses the standard path, so you can move your phrase later.
Keylo fits people who want to hold, send and stake native AXL next to their other coins on one phrase. It isn't the tool for moving assets across chains through Axelar apps, because Keylo can't connect to dapps.
How to create an Axelar wallet in Keylo#
Keylo runs in a browser tab on any recent phone or computer. You can add it to your home screen if you'd like it to open like an app.
Go to the sign-up page and fill in Full name, Email, Phone number, Password and Confirm password. Accept the terms and tap Create account.
If Keylo says "Check your inbox", open the confirmation email it sent.
On the "Set up your wallet" screen, choose Create a new wallet. Your browser generates a 12-word recovery phrase and encrypts it with a key derived from your password (Argon2id, then AES-256-GCM). Keylo's server only ever stores that encrypted copy.
Tap Axelar in your asset list. You'll see your
axelar1address, your AXL balance and the network's history.Open Settings, then Recovery phrase. Enter your password, copy the words onto paper, and confirm a few of them when Keylo asks.
Stay in Settings to turn on Two-factor authentication and choose an Anti-phishing code.
That paper copy is your real backup. A password reset gets you back into your Keylo account but can't decrypt the wallet, so only the 12 words can restore your AXL.
Moving over from Keplr or Leap#
Choose Import a recovery phrase and type your 12 or 24 words. Since Keplr and Keylo derive Axelar the same way, your address appears with its balance and existing delegations. Former Leap users can do the same, because Leap never held their coins. Extra accounts created at other indexes won't show up in Keylo, but that phrase still reaches them in a wallet that supports them.
Keylo has no Axelar testnet, so make your first transfer a small one.
Get your axelar1 address in a minute
Sign up with email and a password. Keylo builds the wallet in your browser and gives you an Axelar address next to every other supported network.
How to receive AXL on the Axelar network#
Tap Receive and pick Axelar. The screen says "Receive on Axelar" and shows a QR code above "Your Axelar address".
Tap Copy or Share, or let the sender scan the code.
On an exchange, withdraw AXL with Axelar as the network. If the form asks for a
0xaddress, it's offering wAXL on an EVM chain instead.Leave any memo field on the withdrawal form empty, because your own wallet doesn't need one.
Watch your activity list. Blocks arrive every couple of seconds, so a deposit shows up soon after the exchange sends it.
The same Axelar wallet address also takes IBC transfers. Someone sending AXL from Osmosis needs to make an IBC transfer to your axelar1 address, not a plain send on their own chain. IBC tokens that reach you appear in your Axelar balance next to AXL.
If wAXL does end up at your 0x address, it's safe. On Ethereum, Keylo finds the token by itself. On an EVM network where it doesn't appear, add it under Settings, Custom tokens, Add token, using the contract address from Axelar's documentation.
How to send AXL and add an exchange memo#
Open Axelar, tap Send and choose AXL or another token you hold on Axelar.
Paste or scan the recipient into To. If the address doesn't start with
axelar1, Keylo says so and won't continue.Enter an amount or tap Max, which keeps back enough AXL for the fee.
Paste the exchange's memo into Memo. For a personal wallet, leave it empty.
Tap Review and pick Slow, Normal or Fast. Check the network, the recipient, the memo and the fee.
Tap Send. Your browser signs, then the status moves from "On its way" to "Sent", with a link to Mintscan.
Why the memo matters on Axelar#
Exchanges often collect AXL deposits at one shared address and use the memo, usually a string of digits, to tell customers apart. Leave it out and the coins still reach the exchange, but nobody credits your account until support matches the transfer by hand. That's why Keylo shows "Sending to an exchange? Most exchanges need a memo to credit your deposit." whenever the field is blank.
Keylo also test-runs each transfer before you sign, so a balance too small for the amount plus the fee shows up as an error first. A validator address (axelarvaloper1...) pasted by mistake is refused, because delegations go through the Stake page.
Axelar network fees: chain fees and cross-chain fees#
Two different costs carry the Axelar name, and only the first applies to a Keylo send.
Chain fees pay for transactions on Axelar itself: transfers, staking, claiming rewards. You pay the gas limit times a gas price in uaxl. As of October 2026 the price floor is 0.007 uaxl, and a plain transfer uses about 70,000 gas. That puts the minimum near 0.0005 AXL. Keylo's Normal option pays 1.25 times the floor and Fast pays 1.75 times, so a transfer usually costs around 0.001 AXL.
You pay for the gas limit, not the gas you end up using. Keylo sets that limit from a test run plus a safety margin, and it adds no fee of its own. Since the Cobalt upgrade in February 2025, 98% of chain fees go to a burn address, as Axelar's Cobalt announcement explains.
Cross-chain fees are what apps charge to route tokens or messages through Axelar. They cover gas on the destination chain plus relaying, paid on the chain you send from. Keylo doesn't create those transfers, so you'll only meet these fees inside a cross-chain app.
How to stake AXL in Keylo#
Staking from an Axelar wallet delegates your AXL to a validator. The coins never leave your address, and only your key can undelegate them.
Open Axelar from your asset list and tap Stake. The "Stake AXL" page shows your Available, Staked, Rewards and Unstaking totals.
Pick a validator. Keylo lists only active validators that aren't jailed, with each one's share of voting power and its commission. A commission above 20% shows in a warning color.
Enter an amount or tap Max, then Review. Keylo shows the amount and the network fee and reminds you that unstaking takes 7 days.
Tap Confirm. Your browser signs the delegation with the Normal fee.
Come back later to Move stake to another validator, Unstake, or claim with the Claim ... AXL in rewards button once rewards build up.
Keep a little AXL unstaked, because every claim, move or unstake pays a fee. At October 2026 gas prices, 0.1 AXL covers about two dozen of them. Rewards don't compound by themselves, so claim and stake them again now and then if you want them working.
Axelar's 7-day unbonding period and slashing#
Unstaked AXL waits 7 days before it's spendable again. That's short for Cosmos: Kava and Terra make you wait 21 days and Juno 28. During that week the coins earn nothing and can't move, then they return to your balance by themselves.
Moving stake to another validator skips the wait. However, AXL you've just moved can't move again until 7 days pass. The chain also allows up to seven pending unstake or move entries per validator, so batch your changes.
Validators that break the rules lose part of their stake, and their delegators share the loss. As of October 2026, Axelar takes 2% for double signing and 0.01% for downtime. Downtime here means missing more than half of roughly the last two days of blocks. The validator is also jailed for at least two hours.
Picking an Axelar validator#
Axelar validators also run nodes for connected chains and vote on what happens there, so reliability counts twice. Check uptime and history on Mintscan, and spread stake across two or three operators outside the very largest.
What Keylo doesn't do on Axelar#
No cross-chain transfers. Keylo sends AXL and tokens within the Axelar chain only. It can't send tokens to other chains through Axelar or make IBC transfers to Osmosis.
No swaps or bridges for Axelar. Keylo's swap and bridge feature doesn't cover this chain. To sell AXL, send it to an exchange that supports the Axelar network, with the memo.
No wAXL conversion. Keylo can't turn wAXL into native AXL or back.
No dapp connections or governance votes. There's no browser extension and no WalletConnect. Your validator votes for your stake unless you vote yourself in another wallet.
No hardware wallets and no card purchases. Buy AXL on an exchange and withdraw it on Axelar.
Keylo is also non-custodial. If you lose both your password and your recovery phrase, nobody can open the wallet, Keylo included. The list of supported networks shows where else your phrase works.
Axelar scams and mistakes to avoid#
The real risks to an Axelar wallet are fake sites and wrong networks, not the chain itself.
Fake bridge and claim sites. Cloned bridge front ends and "AXL airdrop" pages ask you to connect a wallet and sign, or to type your phrase. A real bridge only asks you to approve a transaction in your wallet.
Fake migrations. In December 2025, Circle agreed to acquire the Interop Labs team, Axelar's original developer. Axelar says the network and AXL stay independent, with Common Prefix taking over much of the development. Any message telling you to swap or migrate AXL because of that deal is a scam.
The wrong AXL. Sending wAXL to an exchange that expects native AXL, or the reverse, can mean a long recovery request or a loss. Axelar's wAXL explainer shows how the two look on exchanges.
Look-alike tokens. Token names on Cosmos aren't unique. Compare the full denom, such as an
ibc/hash, on Mintscan before you accept a token as payment.Fake support. Keylo staff never ask for your recovery phrase or password. Contact the team through the Keylo help page, and read how Keylo secures your wallet for the two-factor and anti-phishing settings.
Before you move a real amount out of your Axelar wallet, check this list:
Your recovery phrase is on paper, and you've confirmed it in Keylo.
The exchange withdrawal says AXL on the Axelar network, not an EVM chain.
You pasted the exchange's memo when depositing to an exchange.
You keep at least 0.1 AXL unstaked for fees.
You sent a small test amount first.
Your phrase also covers other Cosmos chains on the same path. The Osmosis wallet guide and the Cosmos Hub wallet guide explain them, and the Ethereum wallet guide covers the 0x side where wAXL lives.
Stake AXL from a wallet only you control
Keylo encrypts your recovery phrase on your device and never sees it. Send, receive and stake native AXL in your browser.
Axelar wallet FAQ#
What is the difference between AXL and wAXL?
Native AXL lives on the Axelar chain at an axelar1 address. It pays network fees there and it's the only form you can stake. wAXL is an ERC-20 token on Ethereum and other EVM networks, issued one for one against native AXL held in Axelar's gateway, and it sits at a 0x address. Exchanges sometimes label both as AXL, so always read the network name.
Can I stake wAXL or AXL held on Osmosis?
No. Only native AXL at an axelar1 address can be delegated to Axelar validators. wAXL on Ethereum and IBC AXL on Osmosis first need to return to the Axelar chain. The simplest route is usually an exchange that supports both versions: deposit on one network, then withdraw on Axelar to your Keylo address and stake from there.
How long does it take to unstake AXL?
Seven days, as of October 2026. After you unstake, the AXL earns no rewards and can't move for a week, then it returns to your balance without any further action. If you only want a different validator, move your stake instead. That takes effect at once, although the moved AXL can't move again for seven days.
Do I need a memo to send AXL to an exchange?
Usually, yes. Many exchanges receive AXL at one shared address and use the memo to credit the right customer. Copy it from the exchange's deposit page into Keylo's Memo field. Without it, the AXL still arrives, but you'll need the exchange's support team to credit it. Transfers to your own wallet or a friend's Keplr address need no memo.
How much does it cost to send AXL?
Very little. As of October 2026, Axelar's gas price floor is 0.007 uaxl, and a transfer uses about 70,000 gas, so the minimum fee is near 0.0005 AXL. Keylo's Normal option pays a little above the floor, which usually works out to about 0.001 AXL. The review screen shows the exact fee before you sign, and Keylo adds nothing on top.
Can I keep AXL in a cold wallet?
Yes, as long as your setup supports the Axelar chain. A hardware wallet such as a Ledger keeps the key offline and signs through a software wallet. Keplr's site lists hardware wallet logins, so confirm Axelar works in that pairing with a small amount first. Keylo has no hardware wallet support, because its keys live encrypted in your browser, so use a device setup for cold storage.
Can I use my Keplr or Leap recovery phrase in Keylo?
Yes. Choose Import a recovery phrase and enter the 12 or 24 words. Keylo derives Axelar on m/44'/118'/0'/0/0, the same path Keplr uses, so your axelar1 address, balance and delegations should appear. Leap's apps closed by May 28, 2026, but Leap never held your coins, so its phrase still opens the same addresses elsewhere.
Does Circle's Interop Labs deal change my AXL?
No. In December 2025, Circle agreed to acquire the Interop Labs team and its proprietary technology. Axelar says the network, its foundation and the AXL token stay independent and community governed, with Common Prefix leading much of the development work. Your axelar1 address, balance and stake stay the same. Treat any request to migrate AXL because of the deal as a scam.
