Emre Yumlu 
In the cryptocurrency world, privacy is the cornerstone of freedom. Firo (FIRO), formerly known as Zcoin, is a project that aims to become true private digital cash. Firo developed the Lelantus protocol, which allows users to “burn” their coins and redeem them later as brand-new ones with no transaction history. This completely erases the transaction trail, making it untraceable. After cryptographic vulnerabilities were discovered in Zerocoin in 2019, the project transitioned to Sigma and then to Lelantus, establishing itself as one of the leading privacy protocols.
What is Firo (FIRO)?
Firo is a blockchain ecosystem centered on privacy. It aims to provide a digital cash solution accessible to everyone while protecting users’ funds and data privacy. FIRO is the native token with a total supply of 21,400,000, following Bitcoin’s same distribution model and 4-year halving cycle.
The project’s core philosophy is built on the principle of “Don’t trust, verify.” It offers a system that safeguards individuals’ financial freedom without relying on central authorities. The project stands out with both its technical and societal impact: the first practical implementation of Zerocoin, the Thai elections, and the initial integration of Dandelion++—milestones that position Firo as a pioneer among privacy coins.
The project is designed as a privacy-focused infrastructure. Bitcoin’s transparency keeps users’ transactions in a public ledger visible to all, which completely eliminates financial privacy. Firo was created to solve this problem cryptographically. Users can operate freely with hidden addresses, hidden amounts, and hidden transaction histories.
Additionally, the project prioritizes mining accessibility. Unlike Bitcoin, dominated by ASIC devices, Firo’s FiroPoW algorithm enables mining with home GPUs. This keeps power decentralized and prevents mining from being monopolized.
The project is not just a coin—it is a privacy infrastructure. Other projects build upon Firo’s research outputs (Zerocoin, Sigma, Lelantus). Monero’s Triptych and Seraphis protocols, as well as Beam’s Lelantus-MW, were inspired by Firo’s innovations.
Firo uses a Proof of Work (PoW) and Masternode hybrid consensus model. Block time is 5 minutes, and the block reward is 6.25 FIRO. With LLMQ Chainlocks, blocks are locked instantly, making double-spend attacks impossible.
Lelantus Spark is Firo’s most advanced privacy protocol:
- One-out-of-many proof: Does not reveal which coin was burned
- No trusted setup: Unlike Zcash, zero “toxic waste” risk
- 215+ anonymity set: Transaction vanishes among thousands of coins
- TEE + MPC TSS: Hardware-level security
Dandelion++ provides network-layer privacy:
- Transactions propagate via random routing
- IP-to-transaction linkage blocked at 99.9%
- Resistant to Sybil attacks
Spark Assets extends privacy to the token level:
- Token type is hidden
- Enables private voting, private DeFi, private NFTs
Firo is a research-driven project. The team publishes academic papers and undergoes independent audits. The transition from Zerocoin to Lelantus is an example of turning a security vulnerability into an opportunity.
How Does Lelantus Work?
Lelantus is Firo’s privacy engine. Built on zero-knowledge proof, this system allows users to erase their history and start fresh. The process works in the following steps:
- Coin Burning (Burn) The user permanently destroys their FIRO coins. This transaction confirms that the coins have been completely removed from the blockchain. Burned coins are irreversibly eliminated from the system.
- Zero-Knowledge Proof The user proves only that “yes, I burned them” without revealing which coins were burned. This is made possible through a special zk structure called one-out-of-many proof.
- No trusted setup required
- No exotic math
- High anonymity set (mixes among 215+ coins)
- New Coin Minting (Mint) The user receives completely new and history-free FIRO equal to the burned amount. These new coins have no connection to the old addresses.
- Transaction size is also hidden
- Sender, receiver, and amount are fully anonymous
This mechanism mathematically guarantees privacy. For example, if you burn 100 FIRO and receive 100 new FIRO, no one can prove the two actions are linked.
Masternodes & Network Security
The project operates on a hybrid PoW + LLMQ system. Masternodes are the foundation of the network’s security and speed:
- 51% attack protection: LLMQ (Long-Living Masternode Quorums) locks blocks instantly
- Chainlocks: Block finality achieved in seconds → zero double-spend risk
- Collateral: 1,000 FIRO → masternode setup
- Reward: 70% of block rewards go to masternodes (4.375 FIRO/block)
Masternodes also support the network’s decentralized governance. The community fund and development budget are transparently financed through this structure.
FiroPoW Mining
The project developed the FiroPoW algorithm to break centralized mining monopolies:
- GPU-optimized: Mining possible with home graphics cards
- ASIC/FPGA-resistant: No advantage for specialized hardware
- Based on ProgPoW 0.9.4, algorithm changes every block
- DAG size: Starts at 7 GB → increases by 8 MB every 1300 blocks
This makes mining an activity accessible to everyone. FiroPoW upholds the philosophy of tying Proof of Work to real-world value.
Firo Key Features
- Lelantus Spark Firo’s latest privacy protocol.
- No trusted setup
- 215+ anonymity set (among the highest in the world)
- TEE (Trusted Execution Environment) + MPC TSS (Multi-Party Computation Threshold Signature) for hardware security
- Lightweight enough to run on mobile devices in the future
- Dandelion++ (World’s first in 2018)
- Transactions spread via random routing
- IP-to-transaction linkage impossible
- Network-layer privacy
- FiroPoW
- GPU-friendly
- Breaks centralized mining monopolies
- Designed for fair distribution
- LLMQ Chainlocks
- Block finality in seconds
- Zero double-spend risk
- Maximum payment security
- Spark Assets
- Tokens themselves are hidden
- Enables privacy-focused voting, private tokens, private DeFi applications
- Systems like Aura with minimal trust requirements
Firo (FIRO) Tokenomics
Total Supply: 21,400,000 FIRO Halving: Every 4 years (like Bitcoin) Block Reward: 6.25 FIRO, 3.125 after 4 years
Distribution (Block Reward):
- Masternodes: 70% (4.375 FIRO)
- Miners: 5% (0.3125 FIRO)
- Development Fund: 15% (0.9375 FIRO)
- Community Fund: 10% (0.625 FIRO)
Tail Emission: 1 FIRO per block indefinitely after 21.4M Burn: 100% of transaction fees burned (deflationary pressure)
Firo Roadmap
2024-2025:
- Full Lelantus Spark integration
- Spark Assets launch
- Mobile wallet updates
2026+:
- Cross-chain privacy bridges
- Institutional partnerships
- AI-powered privacy tools
Firo Risk Factors
- Market volatility
- Regulatory uncertainty
- Technology risks (TEE/MPC vulnerabilities)
Firo Investors & Partners
Firo is a community-driven project; institutional investor list is kept limited. Listed on exchanges like Binance, KuCoin, Huobi.
Firo Team
The project is led by a team passionate about privacy and decentralization. The founders combined academic research with practical implementation to develop leading privacy protocols.
- Poramin Insom – Founder: Coded the first practical implementation of Zerocoin, cybersecurity expert in the Thai military.
- Reuben Yap – Co-Founder: Founded one of Southeast Asia’s earliest VPN services.
- Aram Jivanyan – Chief Privacy Architect: Creator of Lelantus and Lelantus Spark.
- Peter Shugalev – Lead Developer: 20+ years in software architecture, developed his own programming language.
Official Links
You can also freely share your thoughts and comments about the topic in the comment section. Additionally, don’t forget to follow us on our Telegram, YouTube, and Twitter channels for the latest news and updates.