Zano has launched Hard Fork 6, a major upgrade introducing Gateway Addresses for easier exchange integration and non-custodial bridging between Zano and transparent chains like Ethereum and Solana.
The centerpiece of Hard Fork 6 is the introduction of Gateway Addresses. This new account-based address type is designed specifically for infrastructure providers, including centralized exchanges, decentralized exchanges (DEXs), and bridges. While Zano’s core privacy remains rooted in a UTXO model, Gateway Addresses provide a single, directly tracked balance and instant synchronization, removing the custom engineering hurdles that previously hindered third-party integrations.
Furthermore, HF6 enables native $ZANO to bridge non-custodially to transparent networks, specifically Ethereum and Solana, for the first time. This bidirectional functionality allows assets to move into external ecosystems—where they become public—and regain Zano’s privacy protections when bridged back to the native chain. The upgrade also introduces several network-level enhancements, including:
• Stronger Consensus: Implementation of tighter validation rules and a more decisive fork-choice rule.
• Hardened Security: Enhanced wallet file encryption and new anti-DoS limits for nodes, including SOCKS5 proxy support for Tor routing.
• Operational Efficiency: Per-output payment IDs for cleaner merchant matching and the ability for mining pools to dry-run blocks to prevent stalls.
• Developer Tools: Hardened RPC interfaces for safer third-party application building.
Looking ahead, the network is preparing for the Zano Execution Layer (ZEL), an EVM-compatible sidechain intended to support standard Solidity contracts and tools like MetaMask and Hardhat, alongside a transition to a pure proof-of-stake protocol dubbed Zenith, currently scheduled for Q2 2027.
What makes Zano different from Monero?
A Zano vs Monero comparison starts with a shared focus on private transactions and common CryptoNote roots. Monero concentrates on private peer-to-peer money and uses Proof of Work. Zano combines private payments with Confidential Assets, private staking, a hybrid PoW/PoS consensus model, aliases, and built-in trading tools. These are different project scopes, not a reason to call one universally better.
