Zano WalletParticipate in either layer
Mine on a GPU. Stake any amount. Or both — there is no exclusion.
Hybrid Consensus — PoW + PoS Together
Two independent security layers. Attacking the chain requires controlling both — not just one.
Why hybrid
Pure Proof of Work chains can be attacked by acquiring sufficient hashpower (a 51% attack). Pure Proof of Stake chains can be attacked by acquiring sufficient stake. Hybrid chains require both: an attacker needs majority hashpower AND majority stake simultaneously, which is dramatically harder.
How it works
The Zano model alternates PoW blocks and PoS blocks on the same chain. Each PoW block secures the chain through computational cost. Each PoS block secures it through economic skin-in-the-game. Compromising either alone produces a stalemate; you need both to rewrite history.
PoW layer (ProgPoWZ): Miners run computational work using GPU-friendly hashing. ProgPoWZ was designed to be ASIC-resistant, meaning specialized hardware does not gain a dominant advantage over commodity GPUs. This keeps mining decentralized and accessible.
PoS layer (Zarcanum): Stakers validate PoS blocks. Selection probability is proportional to stake. As described on the staking page, Zarcanum hides the staked amount cryptographically, so even the security mechanism itself does not leak balances.
Block rhythm: The chain alternates PoW and PoS blocks at a protocol-defined cadence. This is automatic and requires no user action — the wallet handles it transparently.
Harder to attack
Multiple peer-reviewed analyses of hybrid systems show the combined security threshold is substantially higher than either mechanism alone.
Layered fault-tolerance
Even if one mechanism is temporarily disrupted (a major mining pool offline, for example), the other continues operating.
Privacy at the security layer
Zarcanum hides staked amounts, so even the security mechanism itself does not leak balances.
Honest tradeoffs
Hybrid systems are more complex. More mechanisms means more attack surface. Zano's hybrid model has been live since mainnet but has fewer years of stress-testing than pure PoW chains like Bitcoin.
Block time variability. Alternating PoW + PoS creates some variability in block timing compared to a single-mechanism chain.
Frequently asked
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