• Horizen aims to build a Proof-of-Work (PoW) cryptocurrency, with a Proof-of-Stake (PoS) sidechain platform enabling fully customizable decentralized applications.

  • The system has a Bitcoin-like blockchain at the core, with Equihash Proof of Work featuring a delayed block penalty algorithm for additional security.

  • The sidechain platform includes a Proof-of-Stake consensus mechanism, and a suite of developer tools and a User Interface made available in the sidechain software development kit that abstracts away the complexities of blockchain construction, deployment, and maintenance.

  • The Cross-Chain Transfer Protocol ("CCTP") allows a decoupled sidechain network independent of consensus, programming language, or any other design detail in the sidechains.

  • The Horizen coin (ZEN) is used for staking and as gas fee in the ecosystem.


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