Incognito

etc.Incognito builds privacy infrastructure and applications for web3. The mainnet was launched in Nov 2019.

Incognito runs on its own sharded blockchain, with throughput designed to scale out linearly with the number of shards. To deliver cross-chain privacy for other cryptocurrencies and applications, it is widely interoperable through the use of trustless bridges to networks like Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Binance Smart Chain.

Incognito implements improved variants of Proof of Stake, pBFT, and BLS at the consensus layer, and achieves privacy using ring signatures, stealth addresses, confidential transactions, and confidential assets.

The core team consists of around 40 builders and researchers. The project is open-source and contributors are welcome.

Incognito’s approach to privacy:

Most existing privacy solutions introduce their own version of cryptocurrencies that focus on privacy. Incognito takes a different approach, based instead on the premise that people want privacy for the cryptocurrencies and applications they already hold and use. As such, Incognito development is focused on key 3 areas:

Privacy for cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin, Ethereum, Binance, etc. Incognito is designed so users can hold any cryptocurrency and still be able to use it confidentially whenever they want. It achieves this through the use of interoperable bridges to major blockchains.

Privacy for applications, like PancakeSwap, Uniswap, etc. Incognito offers privacy for developers and users of dApps from other chains. dApp developers can write and deploy smart contracts to their blockchain of choice, and users can experience those dApps anonymously.

Privacy infrastructure for web3. Incognito presents a solution to deliver decentralized privacy at scale. It is powered by a large community of validators, and is designed so that anyone can be a validator candidate by staking a minimum (and maximum) amount of the native coin. In the interests of decentralization, it does not rely on masternodes or delegated staking. Incognito products include:

A privacy-preserving crypto exchange that allows users to trade anonymously

A privacy-preserving wallet that allows for confidential transactions of multiple currencies

Developer tools for building natively on Incognito, as well as to connect dApps on other chains

Tools that allow validators to easily run and troubleshoot their own virtual nodes.

Explorers that display network health and key utility metrics ## The native coin of Incognito is Privacy (PRV). It can be used to:

Create private counterparts of existing currencies

Participate in privacy markets on the Incognito exchange

Privately use decentralized apps from other chains

Stake to earn Incognito block rewards