Bitcoin Private | |
---|---|
Ticker symbol | BTCP |
Precision | 10−8 |
Development | |
Original author(s) | Bitcoin Private Community
Jacob Brutman Christopher Sulmone Rhett Creighton |
White paper | btcprivate |
Initial release | 1.0.10 / 6 March 2018 |
Latest release | 1.0.10-2 / 9 March 2018 |
Code repository | github |
Development status | Active |
Project fork of | Zclassic, Bitcoin |
Written in | C++, Qt |
Website | btcprivate |
Ledger | |
Ledger start | 2 March 2018 |
Timestamping scheme | Proof-of-work |
Hash function | Equihash |
Issuance schedule | Block reward |
Block reward | 1.5625 BTCP, halving every 210,000 blocks or ~1 year[1][2] |
Block time | 2.5 minutes |
Block explorer | explorer |
Supply limit | 21,000,000 BTCP |
Bitcoin Private (BTCP) is an open-source, peer-to-peer cryptocurrency with the optional ability to keep the sender, receiver, and amount private in a given transaction.[1] This is in contrast to many cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin, which have a fully transparent transaction history.[3][4][5]
Bitcoin Private gives users the option to generate either public or private addresses, redeemable for transactions to either address type. Private addresses work by using use Zero-Knowledge Succinct Non-Interactive Arguments of Knowledge (zk-SNARKs). Evidence of ownership is provided without revealing which units are owned. This means that owners can redeem funds without any traceable history.[1][6]
Bitcoin Private retained Zclassic's Equihash algorithm.[7] Equihash is a memory-intensive proof of work mechanism, making it ASIC-resistant. This reduces centralization by incentivizing mining with accessible hardware. Bitcoin Gold also borrowed Equihash from Zcash.[8][9]
Bitcoin Private is a merge fork of Bitcoin and Zclassic.[10][11][12][13] Zclassic is a fork of Zcash, an implementation of the Zerocash whitepaper. Zclassic was released in November 2016,[14] by blockchain developer Rhett Creighton. Creighton used the same code as Zcash, with a lack of a founders fee required to mine a valid block.[6][15][10] This promotes a fair distribution, preventing centralized coin ownership and control.[10] In December 2017, Creighton announced that he would be restarting Zclassic development after months of inactivity.[16] The Zclassic team announced interest in creating a private Bitcoin fork days later.[17] Bitcoin Private's fork snapshot occurred on 28 February 2018, and the mainnet was launched 3 days later. It was subject to a 51 percent attack on 13 October 2018.[18]