Privacy coins have been all the rage in 2018, with a number of intriguing projects striving to take down the current top dog, Monero. While there are a number of exciting small-cap projects, the headlines have been dominated by the big players, all looking to change the way people perceive and use cryptocurrencies.

One project that is in the news seemingly every week is Verge, a secure and anonymous cryptocurrency that is being designed both for personal and business use. Verge leverages the Wraith Protocol, which enables users to seamlessly switch between public and private ledgers on the Verge Blockchain. What’s more, Verge uses Tor IP obfuscation and I2P tunneling to further promote security and anonymity, as well as multiple PoW algorithms to expand mining access. Together, the Verge team is crafting features designed to promote mass adoption and real-world applications.

Interested in Verge? Here’s a quick rundown of the project:

Platform & Development

In short, Verge is a privacy coin project that leverages a number of key elements to make for truly secure and anonymous transactions:

Wraith Protocol

Wraith Protocol is a technology that allows the user to freely and seamlessly switch between public and private ledgers on the Verge Blockchain. When the Wraith Protocol is active, transaction data is kept hidden and is not visible via the blockchain explorer. Conversely, when it is off, transactions can be linked to a user’s public address and are viewable via the blockchain explorer. Ultimately, this toggle ability enables for broader use cases, which works to further promote adoption.

Tor IP

Tor is an IP obfuscation service which enables anonymous communication across a layered circuit-based network. This system has been integrated into Verge’s Core, Electrum and Android wallets, which functionally eliminates the possibility of user identification via network surveillance.

I2P Tunneling

In addition to Wraith Protocol and tor, Verge also leverages I2P, which is a highly obfuscated tunneling service using ipv6 that anonymizes all Verge data being sent over the network. This technology, in addition to RingCT integration, is a key focus for Verge moving forward, as it will further ensure anonymity.

In addition to privacy features, Verge has built out a number of more general features to improve the usability of the digital currency. One such feature is a social P2P integration, which allows users to integrate Verge directly into their messaging and social media platforms. Currently, XVG coins can be sent and received over Twitter, Discord and Telegram.

Additionally, Verge leverages a multi-algorithm mining system, which includes 5 different hash functions: Scrypt, X17, Lyra2rev2, myr-groestl and blake2s. Such design allows for an equal access ecosystem.

Verge is actively building out their approved vendor list, which are largely online merchants who accept Verge as a form of payment. Verge has expressed that building out enterprise customers/partners is a major focus moving forward.

Verge provides a very detailed, actively updated roadmap directly on their site. Notable upcoming milestones include RingCT integration for greater privacy and the release of mobile wallets (iOS and Android).

Team

The Verge team is largely anonymous, which makes sense given their general theme of privacy. They have shown an ability to create buzz around their releases and claims to be on the ‘verge’ of a major business partnership, which oddly required them to conduct a community fundraiser to facilitate. As of mid-April, there is has been no news related to the specifics of this business deal.

It is important to note that Verge has received criticism around their business conduct, and in March 2018, they suffered a hacking event where their Twitter account was momentarily hijacked. That being said, Verge has a very large and devoted community.

Token Financials

Verge (XVG) currently has a market cap of ~$1.2 billion with a circulating supply of 14,862,755,789 XVG and a total supply of 16,555,000,000 XVG.

Final Take

Verge is an intriguing, but controversial, project that has been the subject of much debate within cryptocurrency community. Their approach to target both personal and business users is smart, and mirrors what a few other lesser valued privacy projects are focusing on. Ultimately, if Verge can deliver on their promises, they should find themselves cemented among the top projects moving forward.

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Disclaimer: The author(s) of this article may have a position in one or more of the cryptocurrencies mentioned above. This article is for informational purposes only and should not be taken as investment advice. Always conduct your own due diligence before making investments.