Bytecoin is the first cryptocurrency created with CryptoNote technology. Bytecoin allows users to make absolutely anonymous money transfers through the CryptoNote algorithm. CryptoNote uses CryptoNote ring signatures to provide anonymous transactions and allows you to sign a message on behalf of a group. The signature only proves the message was created by someone from the group, but all the possible signers are indistinguishable from each other. Even if outgoing transactions are untraceable, everyone may still be able to see the payments received and thus determine one's income. By using a variation of the Diffie-Hellman exchange protocol, a receiver has multiple unique one-time addresses derived from his single public key. After funds are sent to these addresses they can only be redeemed by the receiver; and it would be impossible to cross-link these payments. As a primarily peer-to-peer (p2p) payment system, Bytecoin has many of the same use-cases as Bitcoin. Created in 2012, Bytecoin is one of the earliest developed cryptocurrencies. Until recently, the team behind the coin has kept themselves anonymous. Now, though, they’ve opened up multiple communication channels, removed some layers of anonymity, and even built several local communities. Bitcoin’s PoW consensus algorithm heavily favors miners that use powerful GPU and ASIC machines over those trying to mine with CPUs. This causes the network to centralize around the more powerful miners. Bytecoin attempts to close the gap between these two classes of miners with a new algorithm, Egalitarian Proof-of-Work (PoW). Egalitarian PoW uses a version of skrypt, a proof of work function similar to the hashcash function used by Bitcoin. The difference between the two is that scrypt isn’t memory bound. Because of this, you can produce highly efficient CPU mining rigs. GPUs will always be about 10 times more effective, though. The Bytecoin project has been fairly fractured since its inception in July 2012. Previously, several isolated teams worked on the project without seemingly communicating with each other. This led to numerous forks and versions of the coin. In July 2017, the team decided to change their image and provide more transparency to the community. The team still remains pseudo-anonymous by only providing names and headshots on their webpage – no bios or social media links. But, it’s tough to expect more from a project that’s focused on privacy. The team has been busy at work refactoring their code and are planning to release a new public API on February 6, 2018. They’ll also be entering the Asian, Middle East, and African markets throughout 2018.
After the originators of ECC left the project for dead in 2015 a developer named Greg Griffith decided to take it over and revive ECC in 2017. Since that point Greg (main developer), his team and the newly grown community is working hard to push the project in the right direction: a new website has been set up, whitepaper and roadmap have been released and a completely new wallet (Sapphire) has been developed and will soon be released. Much more will follow... ECC is an open-source, innovative multi-chain platform. Our network operates with a financial core which allows it to function not only as a currency-transferring platform, but will also serve as a solid infrastructure for future commercial technologies. All of our multi-chain services are implemented with extra focus on user-friendliness, as well as offering unlimited commercial potential; all the while, maintaining a safe and decentralized platform. Our developers are currently engineering the multi-chain core with our flagship services such as: file transfer and storage; decentralized messaging and currency transfer; right on top of the blockchain. Our services implement ANS (Address Name Service); which means that users can send and receive coins and data simply by using nicknames rather than the long, cumbersome wallet addresses we are used to seeing. For ECC, this is only the beginning. When development of the multi-chain foundation is completed with our easily-navigable interface and open-source platform, future developers can create new services right on top of our network! Exciting, isn’t it? We think so too. At ECC, we strive to develop ground-breaking innovations; all with absolute privacy and security through our blockchain services.