What is Zano (ZANO)?

By CMC AI
07 December 2025 12:37AM (UTC+0)

TLDR

Zano is a privacy-focused layer-1 blockchain enabling confidential transactions, private token creation, and decentralized applications (dApps) with built-in anonymity.

  1. Privacy by default – hides sender, receiver, amounts, and asset types in every transaction.

  2. Confidential Assets – users can create custom privacy tokens with the same anonymity as ZANO.

  3. Hybrid PoW/PoS consensus – combines mining and staking for security while keeping staked amounts private.

Deep Dive

1. Privacy-Centric Architecture

Zano uses dv-CLSAG ring signatures (mixing 15 decoy inputs) and stealth addresses to anonymize senders and receivers. Transactions hide amounts via Pedersen commitments and Bulletproofs+, while Confidential Assets mask token types. Unlike Monero or Zcash, Zano’s privacy is mandatory, not optional (Zano Docs).

2. Key Innovations

  • Zarcanum: First hidden-amount Proof-of-Stake system, allowing staking without revealing balances.
  • Ionic Swaps: Trustless atomic swaps between Zano and external assets like Bitcoin.
  • Aliases: Human-readable addresses (e.g., @PayMe) that preserve privacy.

3. Expanding Ecosystem

Zano hosts privacy-focused projects:
- Confidential Layer Bridge: Brings Bitcoin, ETH, and stablecoins onto Zano as private assets.
- Zebec integration: Enables spending ZANO via Mastercard-powered crypto cards.
- Zano Trade: Native DEX supporting Ionic Swaps and private asset trading.

Conclusion

Zano positions itself as infrastructure for a "Digital Freedom Economy," prioritizing transactional anonymity at the protocol level. Its innovations in private staking and cross-chain swaps differentiate it from older privacy coins. As regulatory scrutiny grows, can Zano balance its privacy ethos with mainstream adoption demands?

CMC AI can make mistakes. Not financial advice.