BitcoinZ (BTCZ): how it works, supply and reviews
In short
- Type
- Standalone proof-of-work blockchain with its own genesis block (not a Bitcoin fork, per the project)
- Maximum supply
- 21 billion BTCZ
- Risks and caveats
- In 2026 the chain's node software twice accepted blocks with invalid shielded transactions; operators running versions older than 2.3.1 can follow an invalid chain.
- Checked
- 31 October 2026
Visitor ratings: do you like BitcoinZ?
Key facts
- Ticker
- BTCZ
- Official site
- getbtcz.com
Key facts checked on 31 October 2026 against official sources.
What is BitcoinZ
BitcoinZ (BTCZ) is a community-run proof-of-work cryptocurrency launched in September 2017 with its own genesis block, a 21 billion coin cap and optional shielded transactions using zk-SNARKs. It is mined with the Equihash algorithm and has no pre-mine or ICO, according to the project.
Network and consensus
| Parameter | Details |
|---|---|
| Type | Standalone proof-of-work blockchain with its own genesis block (not a Bitcoin fork, per the project) |
| Consensus | Proof of work, Equihash |
| Block time | 2.5 minutes |
| Launched | September 2017 |
Supply and issuance
| Parameter | Details |
|---|---|
| Maximum supply | 21 billion BTCZ |
| Halving | Block reward halves every 4 years; current reward 6,250 BTCZ, next 3,125 BTCZ |
| Initial distribution | No pre-mine and no ICO |
What BTCZ is used for
- Native coin of the BitcoinZ chain, sent in transparent or shielded transactions.
- Rewards miners for each block found.
- Also exists as a BEP-20 token on BNB Smart Chain through the project's bridge.
Who develops and governs BitcoinZ
- Developer
- Community-driven project; no company or foundation is named
- Open source
- All code is open source
History
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| September 2017 | BitcoinZ launches, with initial mining pools and Linux and Windows wallets. |
| 9 June 2026 | The project publishes a security review saying it found no way to counterfeit BTCZ; it later corrected this finding. |
| 20 June 2026 | Block 1,789,967 uses a block-validation bug to withdraw 56,305,778 BTCZ from the Sprout shielded pool. |
| 6 October 2026 | Z-TEXT, a messenger built on BitcoinZ, becomes the official BitcoinZ wallet. |
| 21 October 2026 | Block 1,860,181 creates 105 billion counterfeit BTCZ; release 2.3.1 fixes the bug and removes the block. |
Security and audits
- A block-validation bug that skipped zero-knowledge proof checks for Sprout transactions was exploited on 20 June and 21 October 2026; release 2.3.1 fixes it.
- All node operators, pools, exchanges and wallet back-ends were told to upgrade to BitcoinZ 2.3.1, because older versions accept the counterfeit block.
- A June 2026 security review that found no way to inflate the supply was later corrected by the project as wrong.
Security incidents
| Date | What happened | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 20 June 2026 | Exploit: Block 1,789,967 used a node bug (zero-knowledge proofs of Sprout transactions in received blocks were not verified) to withdraw 56,305,778 BTCZ from the Sprout shielded pool. The transactions remain on the valid chain; the project attributes it to the same actor as the October incident. Funds returned: not stated | getbtcz.com |
| 21 October 2026 | Exploit: Block 1,860,181 created 105,000,000,000 counterfeit BTCZ through five Sprout transactions with all-zero proofs. The attacker deposited 510 million of them into the wBTCZ bridge, which minted 150 million wBTCZ on BNB Smart Chain that were sold for 2,892.18 USDT. Release 2.3.1 fixes the bug and removes the block. Funds returned: not stated | getbtcz.com |
Official BTCZ contracts
| Network | Contract address |
|---|---|
| BNB Smart Chain | 0xcBBB3e5099F769F6d4E2b8b92DC0e268f7E099D8 |
Bridged BTCZ (wBTCZ) on BNB Smart Chain; 150 million wBTCZ were minted against counterfeit deposits in October 2026 and their treatment had not been decided.
Risks and caveats
- In 2026 the chain's node software twice accepted blocks with invalid shielded transactions; operators running versions older than 2.3.1 can follow an invalid chain.
- Shielded transactions made during the October 2026 incident window could not be carried over to the valid chain.
- Bridged wBTCZ on BNB Smart Chain was minted against counterfeit deposits; how those tokens will be handled had not been decided.
Official links
- Website: getbtcz.com
- Source code: github.com/btcz/bitcoinz
- Block explorer: explorer.getbtcz.com
- Blog: getbtcz.com/news
Questions and answers
What is BitcoinZ?
BitcoinZ (BTCZ) is a community-run proof-of-work coin launched in September 2017 with optional zk-SNARK shielded transactions.
What is the maximum supply of BitcoinZ?
21 billion BTCZ; the block reward halves every 4 years and is currently 6,250 BTCZ.
Was BitcoinZ hacked?
A validation bug was exploited on 20 June 2026 (56,305,778 BTCZ withdrawn from the Sprout pool) and on 21 October 2026 (105 billion counterfeit BTCZ); release 2.3.1 fixes it and removes the October block.
Who runs BitcoinZ?
The project describes itself as community-driven with no pre-mine or ICO; no company or foundation is named.
Sources
- BitcoinZ — home page
- BitcoinZ — Why BitcoinZ
- BitcoinZ — Halving
- BitcoinZ — Learn
- BitcoinZ — Roadmap
- BitcoinZ — The 21 October Counterfeit Block (22 October 2026)
- BitcoinZ — Security Audit: Supply Integrity Verified (9 June 2026, with correction)
- BitcoinZ — Wallets
More in this section
- Ankr (ANKR)
- GoChain (GO)
- AirSwap (AST)
- Raiden Network (RDN)
- C.R.E.A.M. Finance (CREAM)
- DeFiChain (DFI)
- All Crypto projects →
How voting works
Votes are anonymous and carry no text. Each device has one vote per item; press the same button again to remove it. Cloudflare Turnstile checks that a person is voting. We keep a random device ID in a cookie and a salted hash of the IP address to limit abuse — no names, no accounts. Votes are visitors’ opinions, not investment advice.
Page updated: