Auroracoin (AUR): how it works, supply and reviews
In short
- Type
- Own proof-of-work blockchain, originally based on Litecoin
- Maximum supply
- 23,318,098 AUR; after 5,345,000 AUR were destroyed, total supply is 17,973,098 AUR
- Risks and caveats
- Transactions are irreversible and there is no central authority to complain to if something goes wrong.
- Checked
- 31 October 2026
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Key facts
- Ticker
- AUR
- Official site
- en.auroracoin.is
Key facts checked on 31 October 2026 against official sources.
What is Auroracoin
Auroracoin (AUR) is a proof-of-work cryptocurrency for Iceland, started on 24 January 2014. It was first based on Litecoin and in 2016 adopted DigiByte's multi-algorithm mining. Half of the coins were pre-mined for an airdrop to Icelandic residents; unclaimed coins were destroyed.
Network and consensus
| Parameter | Details |
|---|---|
| Type | Own proof-of-work blockchain, originally based on Litecoin |
| Consensus | Multi-algorithm proof of work: Scrypt, SHA256D, Qubit, Skein and Groestl |
| Block time | 61-second target since the May 2016 multi-algorithm change |
Supply and issuance
| Parameter | Details |
|---|---|
| Maximum supply | 23,318,098 AUR; after 5,345,000 AUR were destroyed, total supply is 17,973,098 AUR |
| Initial distribution | 50% pre-mine for an airdrop to Icelandic residents in 2014-2015, using national ID; about half claimed, the rest destroyed |
| Unclaimed airdrop | Roughly half of the airdrop was claimed; the other half was verifiably destroyed |
What AUR is used for
- AUR is a payment currency for Iceland; merchants can accept it with an ordinary Auroracoin wallet.
- AUR is issued to miners as block rewards.
Who develops and governs Auroracoin
- Developer
- An international group of volunteers (team listed: Myckel Habets, Mikael Hannes, Martin Jansen)
- Governance
- No owner or central company
- Open source
- MIT licence, code on GitHub (aurarad/Auroracoin)
History
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| 24 January 2014 | Auroracoin starts as a cryptocurrency for Iceland. |
| 2014 | Airdrop of the 50% pre-mine to Icelandic residents begins (2014-2015). |
| May 2016 | Switch to multi-algorithm proof of work and a 61-second block target. |
| 28 February 2017 | Release 2017.02.1.0 removes Tor/Onion network support. |
| 21 January 2021 | Hotfix release 2021.01.2.0 after a chain split caused by release 2021.01.1.0. |
| 28 June 2022 | Latest wallet release 2022.06.1.0 brings the code closer to Bitcoin Core. |
Security and audits
- Open-source (MIT) code; official wallets for Windows, macOS and Linux are published with SHA-256 checksums.
- Release 2021.01.1.0 caused a chain split; users were told to upgrade immediately to the 2021.01.2.0 hotfix.
Security incidents
No security incident is recorded in the sources checked on 31 October 2026 (the company’s own channels and incident databases): defillama.com/hacks, hacked.slowmist.io, rekt.news/leaderboard, github.com/aurarad/Auroracoin, en.auroracoin.is
Risks and caveats
- Transactions are irreversible and there is no central authority to complain to if something goes wrong.
- The ledger is public, so payments can be linked to identities over time.
- The newest wallet release dates from June 2022, and a 2021 release caused a chain split.
Official links
- Website: en.auroracoin.is
- Source code: github.com/aurarad/Auroracoin
- Docs: en.auroracoin.is/mining-schedule
Questions and answers
What is Auroracoin?
Auroracoin (AUR) is a proof-of-work cryptocurrency for Iceland, started on 24 January 2014 and originally based on Litecoin.
What is the maximum supply of Auroracoin?
The maximum supply is 23,318,098 AUR; 5,345,000 AUR were verifiably destroyed, leaving a total supply of 17,973,098 AUR.
How is Auroracoin mined?
Since May 2016 Auroracoin uses five proof-of-work algorithms (Scrypt, SHA256D, Qubit, Skein and Groestl) with a 61-second block target.
How was Auroracoin distributed?
Half of the coins were pre-mined for an airdrop to Icelandic residents in 2014-2015 using national ID; about half were claimed and the rest destroyed.
Sources
- Auroracoin - English site
- Auroracoin - Mining schedule
- Auroracoin - GitHub repository (README)
- Auroracoin - chainparams.cpp (stable)
- Auroracoin - GitHub releases
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