Firo (FIRO), formerly known as Zcoin (XZC), is a privacy-focused cryptocurrency and open-source blockchain ecosystem designed around private digital payments. The project was founded in September 2016 by Poramin Insom, with cryptographic development guided by research from cryptographer Aram Jivanyan.
Firo launched as Zcoin and became one of the early cryptocurrencies to implement the Zerocoin protocol for on-chain privacy. Over the following years, the project continued developing its cryptographic architecture, moving from Zerocoin to Sigma and then to Lelantus and Lelantus Spark.
In late 2020, Zcoin was rebranded as Firo, reflecting the project's evolving technology and focus on its Lelantus-based privacy model.
Firo's development: from Zcoin to Lelantus Spark
Firo's history is closely tied to the development of its privacy technology:
- 2016 — Zcoin launches: The project introduces Zerocoin-based privacy.
- 2019 — Sigma: Zcoin replaces Zerocoin with Sigma, removing the need for a trusted setup.
- 2020 — Zcoin becomes Firo: The project adopts its new name and identity.
- 2021 — Lelantus: The next generation of Firo's privacy protocol goes live on mainnet. Later that year, Firo announces its successor, Lelantus Spark.
- 2024 — Lelantus Spark: Spark goes live on mainnet, adding features such as Spark addresses and enhanced transaction privacy.
What is Firo coin in crypto?
FIRO is the native cryptocurrency of the Firo network. It can be used to send and receive funds, make payments, participate in network security, and interact with parts of the Firo ecosystem.
One of its primary use cases is private peer-to-peer payments. Firo's privacy architecture is designed to keep transaction details such as the sender, receiver, and amount from being publicly exposed on the blockchain.
FIRO can also be used for everyday payments and transactions. InstantSend is designed to lock transactions within seconds, making it suitable for situations where faster confirmation is useful.
The coin also plays a role in securing the Firo network. Masternode operators participate in network services and receive a portion of block rewards, while miners contribute computational work through Firo's Proof-of-Work system.
Firo also includes Elysium, a tokenization layer designed to support custom assets built on the Firo ecosystem, including privacy-enabled tokens and other blockchain-based assets.
Key features of Firo coin
Lelantus Spark
Lelantus Spark is the core privacy technology behind Firo. It uses a burn-and-redeem model combined with zero-knowledge proofs. The protocol allows coins to be burned and later redeemed as new coins.
Spark also introduces Spark addresses, which are designed to improve receiver privacy and make it possible to receive funds without publicly exposing a conventional transaction history.
Privacy by Default
Firo is built around a privacy by default approach. Its protocol is designed to protect transaction information rather than making privacy an additional feature that users must manually activate.
At the same time, Firo's model includes opt-out transparency, giving users a way to disclose transaction information when transparency is required.
FiroPoW Mining
Firo uses FiroPoW, an ASIC-resistant Proof-of-Work algorithm designed to support mining with consumer-grade hardware.
The goal is to make participation in network security less dependent on specialized mining equipment while maintaining a Proof-of-Work consensus mechanism.
Masternodes and ChainLocks
Firo combines Proof-of-Work with a masternode infrastructure. Masternodes participate in quorums that support network security and ChainLocks, a mechanism designed to provide fast block finality and protect the network against certain chain-reorganization attacks.
InstantSend
InstantSend allows transactions to be locked quickly through the masternode infrastructure. This can make FIRO more practical for payments where waiting for multiple blockchain confirmations would be inconvenient.
Dandelion++
Firo also uses Dandelion++ as a network-layer privacy mechanism. It changes how transactions are propagated between nodes, making it harder to associate a transaction's origin with a specific network connection.
How is Firo different from other privacy coins?
Firo, Monero (XMR), Zcash (ZEC), and Zano all focus on transaction privacy, but they use different cryptographic and network architectures.
Firo uses Lelantus Spark, based on a burn-and-redeem privacy model. Its architecture combines zero-knowledge proofs with Spark addresses and hidden transaction information.
Monero uses a different approach based on stealth addresses, ring signatures, and RingCT. These mechanisms work together to keep transaction participants and amounts private without using a burn-and-redeem model.
Zcash uses zk-SNARKs for shielded transactions. Its earlier shielded pools, Sprout and Sapling, relied on a trusted setup ceremony. The Orchard pool, introduced with the NU5 upgrade in 2022, removed that requirement. Firo followed a similar path: its original Zerocoin implementation used a trusted setup until Sigma replaced it in 2019. Monero and Zano never required one.
Zano uses technologies including d/v-CLSAG ring signatures, stealth addresses, and Bulletproofs+. It also combines privacy features with a hybrid Proof-of-Work/Proof-of-Stake architecture and supports confidential assets.
Another distinction is the approach to privacy:
- Firo: privacy by default, centered on Lelantus Spark.
- Monero: privacy is built into the protocol for transactions.
- Zano: privacy is built into its transaction architecture.
- Zcash: supports both transparent and shielded transaction types.
Firo also distinguishes itself through its Elysium layer, which expands the network toward privacy-enabled multi-asset functionality.
Firo tokenomics
Firo's tokenomics combine a capped supply model, scheduled issuance reductions, and block-reward distribution between different parts of the ecosystem.
The project describes a maximum supply of approximately 21.4 million FIRO and a four-year halving cycle modeled after Bitcoin.
Block rewards are distributed across several network participants and development initiatives:
- 50% — Masternodes
- 25% — Miners
- 15% — Development Fund
- 10% — Community Fund
This structure is designed to allocate newly issued FIRO toward network security, infrastructure, protocol development, and community initiatives.
Because supply and emission parameters can change over time, check the current Firo documentation before relying on historical tokenomics figures.
Where to hold Firo?
If you're looking for a Firo wallet, Firo's official website provides a list of supported wallet options, including its recommended Reference Wallet, Campfire, and Electrum. Campfire is recommended for most users and is available for desktop and mobile devices, while Electrum is a lightweight wallet with hardware wallet support.
Before choosing a Firo wallet, check the current compatibility and supported features on Firo's official wallet page, especially if you plan to use Spark features.
Firo price and price prediction
The Firo price changes with market conditions and trading activity. On SwapSpace, you can check the current FIRO price directly in the exchange widget and compare available offers before making a swap. If you're ready to exchange, enter FIRO and your desired cryptocurrency in the SwapSpace widget to compare available offers from multiple providers in one place.
Also, you can find the FIRO price chart above, which shows price movements over time and tracks the value of Firo, formerly known as Zcoin. For additional market data, you can also review FIRO's market cap, 24-hour trading volume, price changes, and circulating supply on this page.
If you're researching where Firo's price could move in the future, see our Firo price prediction page for a separate overview of historical performance and available forecasts.
