Mina aspires to be the world’s tiniest blockchain, with claims that its protocol maintains a constant size of around 22 kilobytes. This is ostensibly achieved by using recursive zk-SNARKs — the same technology that is used by the privacy-centric cryptocurrency Zcash (ZEC). However, whereas the latter utilizes this technology to provide greater privacy to its users, the former employs it for scalability. A zk-SNARK, which stands for zero-knowledge succinct noninteractive argument of knowledge, allows a party to prove that they have possession of certain information without revealing what that information is. It is similar to how a smartphone can recognize …

First announced in September, Monero developers today went live with a network update featuring a new version of its node software, codenamed 'Oxygen Orion.' The product of 30 contributors, the update promises significant improvement across nearly all aspects of the privacy-focused cryptocurrency’s performance. The highlight of the new update is the compact linkable spontaneous anonymous group (CLSAG) feature. According to the Monero blog, CLSAG will reduce transaction sizes by 25% and improve transaction times by 10% while maintaining transactional privacy. The developers wrote: "CLSAG enables smaller and faster transactions with rigorous security." In addition to CLSAG, the new update brings …

Gemini, a cryptocurrency exchange founded by the Winklevoss twins, aims to improve user privacy with a major privacy token, Zcash (ZEC). Starting Sept. 29, Gemini will support shielded withdrawals of ZEC, which allows users to hide their transaction data. Gemini representatives said that the new feature is the “first time shielded ZEC withdrawals are available on a regulated exchange.” The new option comes in line with Gemini’s mission to strengthen financial privacy and “empower the individual through crypto,” Gemini executives said. Launched in 2016, Zcash is a major privacy-focused cryptocurrency, enabling two user privacy levels through two types of addresses …

Several crypto assets are currently priced near their mid-2017 valuations, potentially offering a second chance to latecomers. One major caveat, however — these assets may never reach their highs again, or even rise at all from here. Buyers beware and do your own research. Litecoin (LTC) sat at a price of around $33 on June 11, 2017, according to a historical snapshot from CoinMarketCap. Its current press time price trades slightly higher, at around $46 — a dramatic difference from its all-time highs near $365. Ethereum (ETH) held a price of $340, just $2 away from its current press time …

Publicly-listed mining firm Argo Blockchain has published bullish interim half year results for 2020, despite the recent Bitcoin (BTC) halving and a host of “challenging conditions.” Argo Blockchain PLC is headquartered in London, with its shares listed on the main market of the London Stock Exchange. For the six months through to June 30, the company’s revenues hit £11.2 million ($14.48 million) — a 280% increase from H1 2019 (£2.93 million, or $3.79 million). According to the company, the surge in revenue reflects a “major ramp-up in production.” The total number of Bitcoin mined during the first six months of …

The Electric Coin Co., or ECC, the entity responsible for the advancement of privacy coin Zcash (ZEC), unveiled new code for the blockchain and crypto community. The company opened its Halo 2 source code — "an updated, more efficient version of ECC’s recursive proof composition that eliminates the need for a trusted setup in Zcash," said a Sept. 1 blog post from the ECC. "It may also advance a promising scalability solution for Zcash and other blockchains," the post added, noting the Halo structure adds speed, among other things. Initiating a private network with Zcash utilizing Zero-Knowledge Succinct Non-Interactive Argument …

Pressured by external forces, two Australian exchanges have begun to delist a number of privacy coins including Monero (XMR) and Bytecoin (BCN). On August 24, YouTuber Alex Saunders tweeted a screenshot of what appears to be an announcement from the Australian exchange, Coinspot. This announcement seemed to suggest that several privacy coins were going to be delisted by August 31: Source: Twitter. Another Twitter user alleged that CoinSpot was not the only one planning to delist privacy coins, claiming that Swiftx, another Australian exchange, was planning to do the same. On the same day, Chainalysis announced that it was partnering …

ETC is facing delisting from OKEx in the wake of a 51% attack that cost the exchange $5.6 million. According to a report recently released by OKEx, the perpetrators registered five accounts between June 26 and July 9, 2020, subsequently depositing 68,230.02 ZEC (worth more than $5 million) on their platform. On July 31, the attackers exchanged their ZEC holdings for 807,260 ETC and withdrew it from the exchange. The on-chain process of the initial 51% attack on Aug. 1. Source: community enthusiasts On the same day, the attackers began creating a “shadow chain” using their newly acquired hashrate. At …

Reward halvings are a common element of many different forms of cryptocurrency, known to typically impact a coin’s supply, difficulty and price. For many cryptocurrencies, these halving mechanisms are embedded into the code in order to lower the generation rates and inflation, which can help extend the life of the coin even amid increased demand. This is what happened with the Bitcoin network back in May when its block reward halved for the third time and was reduced to 6.25 Bitcoin (BTC). Now, it is Zcash’s turn, as the digital asset’s network is set to undergo its first halving sometime …

In the past couple of weeks, the Bitcoin (BTC) price has resurged after months of apparent monetary stagnation. Since July 23, the value of a single Bitcoin has risen by around 20%. Not only that, after trading sideways since its supply squeeze in early May, the premier currency broke through its all-important $10,000 psychological threshold, thus leading many casual investors to once again jump back on the crypto hype train. Bitcoin’s recent price hike has also resulted in a retail boom, with a whole host of trading platforms across the world reporting sky-high Bitcoin trading volumes. As a result of …

The Electric Coin Company, or ECC, the company overseeing privacy coin Zcash (ZEC), recently unveiled a crypto and financial educational movement called the Crypto in Context program. “It is a global effort,” the ECC’s growth vice president, Josh Swihart, confirmed to Cointelegraph in a July 29 email. “We've already supported pilots for Syrian refugees in Turkey, for Arabic speakers across Europe and the Middle East, and for students in Nigeria,” he added. The movement already has sizeable players on board In a July 29 blog post, the ECC announced the launch of its program as a way to bring crypto …

The Electric Coin Company, or ECC, the outfit behind the privacy-focused Zcash (ZEC) cryptocurrency, has initiated the Crypto in Context program. The effort touts itself as a crypto education, assistive and collaborative movement, looking to impact regions where individuals lack financial service access and other difficulties, a July 29 ECC blog post said. The program harnesses “hands-on” interaction and fellowship, utilizing players from the crypto sector, the post said. The effort keys on regions in need Cryptocurrency holds a number of financial benefits, including wealth storage, income generation, lending and borrowing through decentralized finance, or DeFi, to name a few. …