[Crypto projects](https://revain.org/projects/) › Zano

# Zano (ZANO): how it works, supply and reviews

## Key facts

- **Ticker**: ZANO
- **Official site**: [zano.org](https://zano.org/)
- **Source code**: [github.com/hyle-team/zano](https://github.com/hyle-team/zano)

Data: CoinGecko (trading activity) and CoinPaprika (links), 2026-10-27. Only projects that still trade with meaningful volume are listed.

## What is Zano

Zano is an open-source layer-1 blockchain where every transaction is private by default: amounts, addresses and asset types are hidden. It also lets anyone issue private tokens (Confidential Assets) and trade them peer-to-peer.

## Network and consensus

| Parameter | Details |
|---|---|
| Type | Privacy-focused layer-1 blockchain, written in C++, with roots in the CryptoNote protocol (not a Monero fork) |
| Consensus | Hybrid: alternating proof-of-work (ProgPowZ) and proof-of-stake (Zarcanum, with hidden staked amounts) blocks |
| Launched | 2019 |
| Block time | About 1 minute |
| Privacy | Ring signatures (ring size 16), stealth addresses and Bulletproofs+ hide sender, receiver and amount |
| Smart contracts | No; Zano is not an EVM chain, but supports native private tokens and a built-in DEX |

## Supply and issuance

| Parameter | Details |
|---|---|
| Maximum supply | Uncapped |
| Initial supply | 17,517,203 ZANO |
| Issuance | Fixed block reward of 1 ZANO, paid in full to the miner or staker who found the block |
| Fee burn | All transaction fees (flat 0.01 ZANO) are burned; with enough usage, supply could become deflationary |
| Initial distribution | A premine of 3.69 million ZANO was set aside for development, marketing, partnerships and repaying a 2018 loan |
| Inflation | Declining over time towards 0% |

## What ZANO is used for

- Private payments, with sender, receiver and amount hidden
- Staking: holders earn proof-of-stake rewards without revealing their balance, with no minimum or lock-up
- Transaction fees, which are burned
- On-chain governance voting

## Who develops and governs Zano

- **Founders**: Co-founder and lead developer Andrey Sabelnikov, who built the original CryptoNote codebase
- **Developer**: The Zano team, previously behind Boolberry; development is funded by the premine
- **Foundation**: A foundation fund held about 440,000 ZANO (2.9% of supply) as of July 2026
- **Governance**: On-chain voting at vote.zano.org
- **Open source**: Yes; code is public on GitHub

## History

| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| 2018 | Initial development funded by a loan, later repaid from the premine. |
| 2019 | Zano mainnet released and the original whitepaper published. |
| 2021 | Zarcanum paper published: proof of stake with hidden amounts. |
| 22 February 2024 | Software release for hard fork 4 (Zarcanum): private proof of stake and support for Confidential Assets. |

## Security and audits

- The Zarcanum proof-of-stake scheme was reviewed by Cypher Stack.
- Zano's d/v-CLSAG ring signature scheme was also reviewed by Cypher Stack.
- The cryptography is published in research papers, including the whitepaper and the Zarcanum and Confidential Assets papers.

## Risks and caveats

- No maximum supply: 1 ZANO is issued per block indefinitely, offset only by fee burns.
- A premine of 3.69 million ZANO funds the team; most of it has already been spent.
- Network-level metadata such as IP addresses is not hidden by the protocol itself.

## Official links

- Website: [zano.org](https://zano.org/)
- Docs: [docs.zano.org](https://docs.zano.org/)
- Source code: [github.com/hyle-team/zano](https://github.com/hyle-team/zano)
- Block explorer: [explorer.zano.org](https://explorer.zano.org/)

## Questions and answers

**What is Zano?**

Zano is a privacy-first layer-1 blockchain where amounts, addresses and asset types are hidden by default, with support for private tokens.

**Who created Zano?**

Zano was co-founded by Andrey Sabelnikov, lead developer of the original CryptoNote codebase; the team previously built Boolberry.

**What is the maximum supply of ZANO?**

There is none. The block reward is fixed at 1 ZANO, and all transaction fees are burned.

**How does Zano consensus work?**

Zano alternates proof-of-work blocks (ProgPowZ) with proof-of-stake blocks (Zarcanum), producing a block about every minute.

## Sources

- [CoinGecko — Zano](https://www.coingecko.com/en/coins/zano)
- [CoinPaprika — Zano](https://coinpaprika.com/coin/zano-zano/)
- [Zano Docs — What is Zano](https://docs.zano.org/docs/learn/what-is-zano)
- [Zano Docs — Emission, Funding & Specifications](https://docs.zano.org/docs/learn/emission)
- [Zano Docs — Hybrid PoW/PoS Consensus](https://docs.zano.org/docs/learn/how-zano-works/consensus)
- [Zano Docs — Privacy Technology](https://docs.zano.org/docs/learn/how-zano-works/privacy-technology)
- [Zano Docs — Frequently Asked Questions](https://docs.zano.org/docs/learn/frequently-asked-questions)
- [Zano Docs — Research & Audits](https://docs.zano.org/docs/learn/research)
- [Zano — release v2.0.0.266 (hard fork 4)](https://github.com/hyle-team/zano/releases/tag/2.0.0.266)
- [Zano Explorer](https://explorer.zano.org/)

## More in this section

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- [DigiByte (DGB)](https://revain.org/projects/digibyte/)
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- [VeThor (VTHO)](https://revain.org/projects/vethor-token/)
- [All Crypto projects →](https://revain.org/projects/)

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Page updated: 2026-10-29

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Source: https://revain.org/projects/zano/