Firo

## What Is Firo (FIRO)?

Firo (FIRO), formerly known as Zcoin, is a cryptocurrency that focuses on being private digital cash. It created the Lelantus privacy protocol which allows users to burn their coins and redeem them later for brand new ones that do not have any transaction history.

Prior to Lelantus, it was also the first cryptocurrency to code and launch a practical implementation of the Zerocoin protocol which became one of the most prevalent privacy protocols in use, prior to it being replaced by Sigma and then Lelantus after cryptographic flaws were discovered in the Zerocoin protocol in 2019.

### Who Are the Founders of Firo?

The founder of Firo (then Zcoin) is Poramin Insom. He earned a masters degree in Information Security from Johns Hopkins University where he wrote a paper on a proposed practical implementation of the Zerocoin protocol. Aside from Firo, he is also a co-founder of the Satang Corporation and has served as second lieutenant with the Royal Thai Armed Forces in its cyber warfare division.

Reuben Yap joined the project shortly after its launch in 2016 and now leads the project in its overall strategy, development and research goals. Reuben has been a vocal advocate of online and financial privacy, having founded one of Southeast Asia’s earliest VPN services to combat censorship and is a well-respected speaker on the topic, with featured commentary in CoinDesk, BBC, Forbes, Nasdaq, Reuters and Cheddar News, among others. He assumed the role of Project Steward & Co-Founder in November 2019.

#### What Makes Firo Unique?

Firo's Lelantus privacy protocol and its predecessor, Sigma, relies as part of its construction a specialized zero-knowledge proof called one-out-of-many proofs which unlike other zk constructions, does not require a trusted setup or exotic math/cryptographic assumptions while retaining high anonymity sets.

It was also the first project to deploy Dandelion++ in October 2018, a method of propagating transactions that prevents third parties from linking an IP address to a transaction. 

In November 2018, Firo's (then Zcoin) blockchain was used in the Thai Democrat Party's primary election to elect its party leader. With over 127,000 votes cast nationwide, it is the world's first large-scale political election held on a blockchain.

Firo was rebranded from Zcoin in October 2020.

#### How Many Firo (FIRO) Coins Are There in Circulation?

Firo (FIRO) has a circulating supply of 12,211,042 coins and a maximum supply of 21,400,000 FIRO as of August 2021. It follows a similar distribution schedule as Bitcoin.

### How Is the Firo Network Secured?

Firo uses a PoW-Chainlock hybrid consensus model whereby quorums are formed by several hundred masternodes deterministically selected (LLMQ) that perform a verifiable network-wide measurement/vote of the “first-seen” rule and locks in the block that is first-seen. Blocks are final with a single confirmation as no reorganizations are allowed past this point. This also mitigates 51% mining attacks as more than half the masternode network would need to be compromised to disable Chainlocks before a 51% attack can be mounted.

Firo's mining algorithm is MTP which relies on memory hardness to make it resistant to ASICs. It is moving to FiroPOW, a ProgPOW variant that is designed explicitly for GPU mining and is even more resistant to ASICs and FPGAs to encourage fair distribution of its coin.

### Where Can You Buy Firo (FIRO)?

Firo (FIRO) can be traded on the following exchanges:

*   [Binance](https://www.binance.com/)
*   [Bittrex Global](https://bittrexglobal.com/)
*   [Huobi Global](https://www.htx.com/)
*   [Gate.io](https://www.gate.io/)
*   [MEXC](https://www.mexc.com/)
*   [Satang](https://satangcorp.com/exchange/)
*   [Tokocrypto](https://www.tokocrypto.com/)

You can also swap Firo (FIRO) on the following swap services:

* [ChangeNOW](https://changenow.io/)
* [LetsExchange](https://letsexchange.io/)
* [StealthEX](https://stealthex.io/)
* [MajesticBank](https://majesticbank.sc/)
* [Exchang.io](https://exchang.io/)
* [SimpleSwap](https://simpleswap.io/)
* [Changelly](https://changelly.com/)
* [Swapzone](https://swapzone.io/)

If you are interested in learning how to buy Bitcoin ([BTC](https://coinmarketcap.com/currencies/bitcoin/)), read our official guide [here.](https://coinmarketcap.com/how-to-buy-bitcoin/)


MetaMask

Binance Chain Wallet

FIRO

Komodo

Ravencoin is a digital peer-to-peer (P2P) network that aims to implement a use case specific blockchain, designed to efficiently handle one specific function: the transfer of assets from one party to another. Built on a fork of the Bitcoin code, Ravencoin was announced on Oct. 31, 2017 and released binaries for mining on Jan. 3, 2018 with what is called a fair launch: no premine, ICO or masternodes. It was named in reference to a TV show Game of Thrones.

Ravencoin

Unifi Protocol DAO

Kava Lend is a decentralized money market built on the Kava Platform that enables the lending and borrowing of cross-chain assets. Kava Lend supports supply-side deposits for BTC, XRP, BNB, BUSD, and USDX. The platform will allow overcollateralized borrowing for supported assets.

Kava Lend

NULS

dForce

BarnBridge, founded in 2019, is a protocol for tokenizing risks. It was launched in September 2020. BarnBridge is a sort of decentralized finance (DeFi) lego for creating tradeable tokens that expose a consumer to market volatility. As of March 2021, the platform is still in an early stage of launch.

To learn more about this project, check out our deep dive of Quant.

BarnBridge is a project that expands the functionality of DeFi to make it more flexible and efficient. By tokenizing market fluctuations and exposure to risks, it can reduce volatility for conservative investors or increase it for daytraders. BarnBridge enables traditional risk management tools and fixed income instruments on the DeFi market. The main focus is dividing cryptocurrency risks into tranches so market participants, depending on their risk profile, can invest in different products or assets.

BarnBridge

Flux is the cryptocurrency that powers the Flux ecosystem. It has a number of uses including purchasing resources, collateralizing nodes and fuelling transactions on FluxOS, as well as rewarding both miners and FluxNode operators for providing computational resources.

The Flux ecosystem is devoted to empowering everyone to develop, deploy and use the decentralized Internet of the future: Web3

At this moment the Flux ecosystem consists of: a native, minable POW cryptocurrency ($FLUX), a powerful decentralized computational Flux Network (FluxNodes), a Linux based operating system (FluxOS), the premier digital asset platform (Zelcore) and, finally, the Flux blockchain for on-chain governance, economics and parallel assets to provide interoperability with other blockchains and DeFi access.

Currently (2023/1) Flux has a computational network consisting of around 15,000 decentralized nodes, distributed globally with more than 108,000 CPU cores, 288 terabytes of RAM and 6.7 petabytes of storage. That makes Flux the largest decentralized network in the world!

Flux

ZEN is the governance and utility token for Horizen, a zero-knowledge-enabled network of blockchains powered by the largest node infrastructure in the industry. Blockchain interoperability is enabled by the Zendoo protocol, which uses SNARK-verification and allows for complete flexibility in sidechain type, consensus, and speed. Cryptographic verification of networked chains offers massive scale, and the network currently supports up to 10,000 sidechains with a throughput limit of 10,000,000 TPS.

Zendoo makes Horizen a permissionless network of blockchains. Developers can deploy their blockchains within the ecosystem using a variety of SDKs. In 2023, the ecosystem team launched Horizen EON, a public proof-of-stake sidechain and an EVM-compatible smart contracting platform that allows developers to efficiently build and deploy dapps on the Horizen ecosystem, while benefiting from the Ethereum ecosystem. Since going live with Horizen EON, DeFi projects including SpookySwap, Ascent Exchange, and Yuzu have successfully integrated into the Horizen ecosystem. Get started on Horizen EON today!

Horizen's native cryptocurrency, ZEN, is a mineable PoW coin currently trading on major exchanges, including Coinbase and Binance. ZEN can be staked to participate in Horizen's nearly 50,000 full node network.

While ZEN was previously a privacy token, following ZenIP 42204 in June of 2023, the network removed its existing privacy features in favor of moving towards a vision of adaptability and responsible, scalable growth.

Horizen

Decred is Money Evolved.

By combining battle tested Proof-of-Work with an innovative take on Proof-of-Stake that places coin holders in charge of shaping the future, Decred is able to adapt to challenges and innovate at a rapid pace. You acquire influence in Decred by putting “skin in the game”.

Decred’s security, privacy, scalability, and decentralized treasury empower stakeholders and provides them with the tools needed to enhance their financial sovereignty.

Decred

Launched in 2020, Dego Finance is a decentralized ecosystem that offers a diverse combination of non-fungible token (NFT) and decentralized finance (DeFi) tools. It is an independent, open NFT ecosystem.

To learn more about this project, check out our deep dive of Dego Finance.

Any user is allowed to launch an NFT and initiate mining, auctions and trading, covering the entire lifecycle of the product. Dego’s NFT protocol is a cross-chain, second-layer infrastructure for Blockchain projects that can be leveraged for user acquisition and token distribution.

Dego uses a modular combination design concept that combines various elements of a product to form subsystems with specific functions.

Dego Finance

BurgerCities aims to create a unified and standardized metaverse world of Web3 via integrating DeFi, NFT to the wider Metaverse.
In this world, users could carry out daily events such as social, gaming, etc. Meanwhile, they could experience DeFi and NFT functions with their own avatars such as trading, staking, NFT exhibitions or Gamefi, etc.

BurgerCities

PIVX

Band Protocol is a cross-chain data oracle platform that is able to take real-world data and supply it to on-chain applications, while also connecting APIs to smart-contracts to facilitate the exchange of information between on-chain and off-chain data sources.

By supplying reputable, verifiable real-world data to blockchains, Band Protocol unlocks a range of new use cases for developers to explore — since they can now use any type of real-world data as part of their decentralized application (DApp) logic, including sports, weather, random numbers, price feed data and more.

Band Protocol initially launched as an ERC-20 project on the Ethereum blockchain in September 2019, but transitioned to the Cosmos network in June 2020 with the release of Band Protocol 2.0. The new protocol is built on BandChain using the Cosmos SDK. Oracle nodes on BandChain not only relay data but are also involved in block production/validation, giving them a dual role.

BAND is the native token of the Band Protocol ecosystem and is used as collateral by validators involved in fulfilling data requests, as well as the main medium of exchange on BandChain — being used to paying for private data.

Band Protocol

Cortex

Vite has built a Directed Acyclic Graph (DAG) based smart-contract platform, with a Snapshot Chain structure to facilitate zero-fee transactions and optimize transaction speed, reliability, and security. The Snapshot Chain of Vite utilizes Hierarchical Delegated Proof of Stake (“HDPoS”) to achieve network consensus, while supernodes take only staking rewards and no transaction fees. Vite virtual machine maintains compatibility with EVM, and utilizes asynchronous smart contract language, Solidity++.

The VITE token is the currency for simple token transactions and smart-contract executions on the Vite network, with users staking VITE for transaction quota instead of consuming gas. VITE can also be used to vote for Snapshot Block Producers (aka supernodes). In addition, a VITE staker with unused transaction quota can lease such quota to dApps in exchange for their tokens. For instance, users can stake VITE in exchange of ViteX’s native decentralized exchange token, VX.

Vite’s current products include a decentralized exchange (ViteX), a multi-purpose wallet application (Vite App), payments (VitePay), and government/enterprise blockchain applications (VitePlus):

ViteX is a decentralized exchange with on-chain orderbook and matching engine, and supports currently 20+ digital assets.

Vite App is a mobile application that allows trading (ViteX), asset management (wallet), dapps (e.g Vite-based games) in one place.

VitePay is a fast and feeless payment solution, currently available to use in Singapore’s Ce La Vi Sky Bar and taxi services under the Midwest Global network - Users can pay for merchants with Vite wallet, who in turn receive payment with zero fees with near-instant settlement. VitePay is also integrated with the e-commerce platform OpenCart, and one can utilize VitePay at the official Vite store.

VitePlus is a Vite-based enterprise blockchain solution for governments and enterprises. Vite has developed a pilot app, SyraCoin, for the Syracuse government, allowing city housing fund donors to receive blockchain-based coupons that are redeemable for goods and services within city bounds.

VITE

Grin

Wanchain is a distributed ledger that allows for cross-chain transactions and the interoperability of multiple chains. Although Wanchain facilitates transactions between blockchains, it is also a stand-alone blockchain that runs autonomously. The protocol acts as a distributed ledger that processes and maintains records of cross-chain transactions.

Transactions on Wanchain do not only occur between different public blockchains but between private chains as well. As an Ethereum (ETH) fork, Wanchain enjoys some of the properties of the Ethereum blockchain. The protocol securely and autonomously processes applications via smart contracts.  The use cases for Wanchain include decentralized exchanges (DEXs), lending and borrowing platforms, stablecoins, crowdfunding, multi-currency payments and settlements.

The platform is totally decentralized and requires no custodian party to manage or confirm transactions. Unlike other cross-chain systems, Wanchain does not rely on a third-party platform to authenticate transactions. The locked account mechanism is used to secure and manage accounts on the network, eliminating third-party interferences.

Wanchain

ForTube, previously known as the Force Protocol, describes itself as a suite of distributed crypto-finance service protocols that runs on an open-source blockchain. Its main aim is to offer crypto-finance solutions to developers through its software development kit (SDK) and application programming interfaces (APIs) for decentralized application (DApp) development.

The platform offers solutions for cross-platform asset transactions, cross-chain communications, crypto-asset-backed stablecoin insurance, token board insurance, and on-chain payments. The Force Protocol project is a decentralized protocol layer that is developed and managed by the Force Protocol Foundation Ltd.

ForTube launched its decentralized finance (DeFi) service on the Binance Smart Chain (BSC) in September 2020.

ForTube offers many advantages, including flexible support of globally popular cryptocurrencies that provide higher yield combinations and an upgraded algorithm and ledger structure that significantly reduces gas costs. It also has a robust technical framework with more secure smart contracts.