Core Technology
Confidential Assets
Zano enables anyone to issue their own currencies and digital tokens directly on the blockchain as Confidential Assets. These assets inherit the same privacy and security guarantees as the native ZANO coin, including hidden sender and receiver addresses, hidden transaction amounts, and asset-type obfuscation.
Hybrid Proof-of-Work / Proof-of-Stake Consensus
Zano is secured by a custom hybrid Proof-of-Work (PoW) and Proof-of-Stake (PoS) consensus model that combines the strengths of both mechanisms. By requiring cooperation between miners and stakers, the hybrid design significantly raises the cost of attacks such as chain reorganizations and double-spending, resulting in a more resilient and decentralized blockchain.
Zarcanum – Private Proof of Stake
Zarcanum is the world’s first Proof-of-Stake mechanism that preserves untraceability and hidden amounts at the consensus level. Unlike traditional PoS systems, Zarcanum ensures that staking participants, stake sizes, and reward flows remain private.
dv-CLSAG Ring Signatures
Zano transactions use dv-CLSAG ring signatures, an advanced cryptographic scheme that makes the true sender indistinguishable from a group of possible signers.
Stealth Addresses
Every Zano transaction generates a unique, one-time stealth address for the recipient. These addresses are unlinkable and cannot be associated with a user’s public address on-chain.
Pedersen Commitments & Bulletproofs+
Zano hides transaction amounts and asset types using Pedersen commitments, which cryptographically commit to both the transferred amount and the asset identifier while keeping them fully concealed on-chain. This makes ZANO and all Confidential Asset transactions indistinguishable from one another.
Aliases
Zano supports human-readable aliases such as @username, which can be linked to wallet addresses to improve usability.
Auditable Wallets
Auditable wallets give individuals and organizations the option to create selectively transparent wallets for situations where verification is preferred over trust.
Core Performance & Protocol Architecture
Zano's core architecture is designed for long-term evolution and reliability. It features modular components, asynchronous processing, and strict forward and backward compatibility.
Ionic Swaps
Ionic Swaps are a privacy-preserving evolution of traditional atomic swaps, enabling peer-to-peer exchange of cryptocurrencies and Confidential Assets directly on the Zano blockchain.
User-Facing Features
Private by Default Transactions
All Zano transactions are private by default, with hidden senders, receivers, amounts, and asset types. Privacy is enforced at the protocol level rather than offered as an optional feature.
Confidential Asset Creation & Management
Users can issue, manage, and transact private tokens directly on the Zano blockchain, benefiting from the same privacy guarantees as native ZANO transactions.
User-Friendly Private Staking
Zano staking is fully private and requires no minimum balance, no lock-ups, and no slashing. Users can stake directly from their desktop wallet while retaining full control over their funds by simply enabling staking.
Integrated Addresses
Integrated addresses combine a wallet address and payment identifier into a single string. This simplifies deposits for exchanges, merchants, and services while remaining fully privacy-preserving.
Zano Messenger - Matrix-Based
Zano Messenger is a decentralized, privacy-focused communication system built on Matrix. Users log in with their Zano alias and can message anyone in the Zano ecosystem.
Zano Companion
Zano Companion is a MetaMask-like browser extension that connects Zano wallets to web applications. It is available as a desktop browser extension and is directly integrated into the mobile wallet.
P2P Trading & Instant Swaps (Zano Confidential Assets)
Zano supports peer-to-peer trading and Instant Swaps exclusively for Zano and Zano Confidential Assets. Users can exchange assets directly from their wallets without centralized exchanges or custodians.
Zano Trade: Decentralized Exchange
Zano Trade is a decentralized exchange framework that allows users to trade cryptocurrencies directly with one another through a user-friendly interface that mimics a traditional exchange.
On-Chain Voting System
The Zano On-Chain Voting System enables community participation in decisions regarding the development and direction of the Zano ecosystem.
Wallets
Zano wallets are designed for strong security and usability, supporting private transactions, staking, Confidential Assets, trading, and marketplace interaction across desktop and mobile platforms.