PIVX
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2017
- HeadquartersToronto, Canada
- Headcount5,001–10,000
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingSoftware
What PIVX does
PIVX is a decentralized, community-governed cryptocurrency protocol that forked from DASH in 2016 and launched publicly in January 2017 under the name "Private Instant Verified Transaction." It operates as a self-funded DAO with no parent company, no institutional backers, and no traditional corporate revenue. The protocol pioneered the first zk-SNARKs-based privacy implementation (SHIELD) on a Proof of Stake blockchain, using the Sapling protocol with Groth16 zero-knowledge proofs to provide optional transaction privacy that hides sender, receiver, and amount while supporting viewing keys for selective disclosure.
The core product is the PIVX token, accessed through a Core Wallet (desktop, Windows/Linux/macOS), MyPIVXWallet (web wallet built by PIVXLabs), and mobile wallets on Android and iOS — PIVX was the first anonymous Proof-of-Stake coin to ship a dedicated iOS wallet. Consensus is Proof of Stake with Time Protocol v2, allowing participation with as little as 1 PIV and no specialized hardware; stakers earn roughly 13% annual rewards while masternode operators (10,000 PIV collateral) earn roughly 15%. Additional features include Cold Staking (offline delegation), Bulletproofs-enabled Zerocoin protocol, hardware wallet integration via PET4L, and BasicSwap DEX for private peer-to-peer trading.
PIVX has no traditional revenue stream: the protocol monetizes through block emissions (10 PIV per block, split between stakers, masternodes, and treasury), and project funding flows through a DAO treasury that allocates 432,000 PIV per cycle to community-approved development, marketing, and business proposals voted on by masternode holders. The PIVX token trades on 40+ exchanges including Binance, Poloniex, WhiteBIT, and LBank, with a circulating supply of approximately 104.3 million tokens and a market capitalization of approximately $5.4M USD. The project is supported by 6 full-time funded core developers and a global community operating across North America, LATAM, EMEA, APAC, and Africa.
PIVX firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- PIVX
- Legal name
- PIVX Community
- Website
- https://pivx.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2017
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 5,001–10,000 employees
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
PIVX industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Cryptocurrency
- NAICS
- Financial Transactions Processing, Reserve, and Clearinghouse Activities (52232)
- SIC
- Finance Services (6199)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Privacy, Data Protection & Compliance (zk compliance, GDPR/PII handling) (FSAPAJAM)
Keywords
Where PIVX is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Toronto
- HQ country
- Canada
- HQ region
- North America
Markets served
PIVX business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Others
Revenue model
- Block Rewards: PIVX generates new coins through block rewards: 4 PIV per block to stakers, 6 PIV per block to masternodes. This is the primary economic incentive for network participants and represents the main 'revenue' for node operators. No traditional revenue for the project itself as it is decentralized and self-funded through treasury.
- Treasury/Governance: 10 PIV per block allocated to treasury (432,000 PIV per cycle). Funds community proposals for development, marketing, and business development voted on by masternode owners.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | PIVX Token - Market Priced |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels9 records
PIVX product offering
Product offeringCore offering
PIVX is a privacy-focused, Proof of Stake blockchain network launched in January 2017 that enables optional private digital transactions through its SHIELD protocol (zk-SNARKs Sapling with Groth16 proofs). It provides a multi-platform wallet suite (desktop Core Wallet, MyPIVXWallet web wallet, iOS/Android mobile wallets) supporting staking, masternode operation, and DAO governance. The protocol delivers ~0.5-second transaction confirmations, fees under $0.01, energy-efficient consensus, and cold staking that allows offline custody of funds while earning rewards.
Product overview
PIVX is a privacy-focused Proof of Stake blockchain offering optional privacy through its SHIELD protocol. The product portfolio centers on the Core Wallet (desktop application for Windows, Linux, macOS), complemented by MyPIVXWallet (web wallet) and Mobile Wallets (Android/iOS). Key features include SHIELD Protocol for zero-knowledge private transactions, Proof of Stake with Time Protocol v2 for earning rewards, Cold Staking for offline staking, Masternodes for enhanced network participation and governance, and a Decentralized Governance (DAO) system for community voting on proposals. The ecosystem also includes PET4L for hardware wallet integration, PIVX Toolbox and Documentation for developer resources, BasicSwap DEX for decentralized trading, and an active development roadmap with upcoming SHIELD Staking and Staking Pool Operators features.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- SHIELD: PIVX's innovative optional privacy feature using zk-SNARKs Sapling Protocol for complete transaction protection.
- MyPIVXWallet
Products and services
- PIVX Core Wallet Open-source desktop cryptocurrency wallet for PIVX supporting transparent and SHIELD private transactions, staking, masternode management, and DAO governance voting. Available for Windows, Linux (x86, ARM), and macOS as a downloadable application.
- MyPIVXWallet Open-source, non-custodial web wallet introduced by PIVXLabs for PIVX, providing convenient browser-based access to PIVX funds with support for sending, receiving, staking, and shielding transactions.
- PIVX Mobile Wallet (iOS/Android) Mobile wallet applications for Android and iOS devices enabling users to manage PIVX on the go; PIVX was the first anonymous Proof-of-Stake coin to launch a dedicated iOS wallet app.
- PIVX Toolbox Cutting-edge tools and resources for complete control of PIVX funds, including advanced staking and masternode management utilities accessible via web.
- SHIELD Protocol Privacy protocol using zk-SNARKs Sapling for optional private PIVX transactions. Hides the sender, receiver, and transaction amounts while supporting viewing keys for selective disclosure by auditors or counterparties.
- PET4L Hardware Wallet Interface Interface developed by PIVX core developers for Ledger and Trezor hardware wallets, giving users direct access to their PIVX coins when the hardware wallet vendor software does not natively support PIVX.
Quantifiable outcome
- Transactions confirmed in ~0.5 seconds (generation) and 1/100th second (verification)
- +5 more outcomes
Companies that use PIVX
Customer profileSegments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
PIVX technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration6 records
Feature8 records
PIVX partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Seven partnerships are on record, tiered minor.
- Travala.comminorPIVX and Travala.com partnership enabling cryptocurrency payments for travel bookings. Travala.com is a leading online travel booking platform, and this collaboration allows PIVX users to use their tokens for booking flights, hotels, and travel services.
- HummingbotminorPIVX collaboration with Hummingbot for liquidity mining campaign. Hummingbot is a platform that enables users to run market making bots for cryptocurrencies.
- SENTINEL.COminorPIVX and SENTINEL.CO officially entered an alliance to formalize partnership in privacy and blockchain technology.
- AllnodesminorNon-custodial platform for hosting and staking services. Listed as a third-party cold staking service provider on PIVX website.
- Pecunia PlatformminorPlatform allowing users to create cold wallet masternodes without dealing with servers, terminals, or Linux. Listed as third-party staking service.
- nodehub.iominorNode hosting and monitoring service for PIVX masternodes and cold staking. Provides deployment and monitoring capabilities.
- Armour HostingminorMasternode hosting service with 99.9% uptime guarantee on stable and secure servers. Listed as third-party masternode service.
Scale indicators11 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
PIVX competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Pirate Chain: Privacy-focused cryptocurrency that mandates private transactions. Smaller-cap direct competitor in the privacy-coin segment, comparable to PIVX in scale but with a mandatory-privacy design.
- Zcash: Privacy-focused cryptocurrency using zk-SNARKs (the same underlying cryptographic primitive as PIVX's SHIELD). Closest technical analog, though Zcash uses PoW consensus and a shielded-pool optional model.
- Dash: PIVX was forked from DASH in 2016 and shares the masternode architecture and DAO governance model. Direct ancestor and most structurally comparable peer, though DASH does not focus on privacy.
- Firo: Privacy-focused cryptocurrency formerly known as Zcoin, using Sigma and Lelantus protocols. Competes in the same optional-privacy PoS niche as PIVX, with overlapping feature sets including masternode-style governance.
- Monero: The largest privacy-focused cryptocurrency by market cap, offering mandatory on-chain privacy via ring signatures and stealth addresses. Direct competitor to PIVX in the privacy-coin category, with substantially greater liquidity and network effects.
Emerging players
- Verge: Privacy-oriented cryptocurrency using Tor and I2P network obfuscation. Smaller-cap competitor in the privacy-coin segment with a different technical approach to anonymity.
- Secret Network: Privacy-preserving smart contract platform using trusted execution environments and encrypted state. Comparable as a privacy-focused crypto network, though Secret targets programmable private DeFi rather than payments.
- Horizen: Privacy-focused blockchain platform using zk-SNARKs for shielded transactions. Comparable to PIVX in the optional-privacy niche, with sidechain capabilities for application development.
- Decred: Hybrid PoW/PoS governance-focused cryptocurrency with stakeholder voting on protocol changes. Comparable in its emphasis on decentralized governance and stake-based voting mechanics similar to PIVX masternodes.
Others
- BasicSwap DEX: Privacy-focused decentralized exchange on which PIVX trades. Ecosystem partner rather than competitor — listed as a PIVX integration supporting cross-chain, non-custodial PIV trading.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
PIVX social profiles
Digital presencePIVX financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
PIVX leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
PIVX funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
PIVX M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about PIVX
What does PIVX do?
PIVX is a privacy-focused, Proof of Stake blockchain network launched in January 2017 that enables optional private digital transactions through its SHIELD protocol (zk-SNARKs Sapling with Groth16 proofs). It provides a multi-platform wallet suite (desktop Core Wallet, MyPIVXWallet web wallet, iOS/Android mobile wallets) supporting staking, masternode operation, and DAO governance. The protocol delivers ~0.5-second transaction confirmations, fees under $0.01, energy-efficient consensus, and cold staking that allows offline custody of funds while earning rewards.
Is PIVX a public or private company?
PIVX is a private company. It is classified as unknown and is currently operating.
When was PIVX founded?
PIVX was founded in 2017. It employs 5,001 to 10,000 people.
Where is PIVX based?
PIVX is headquartered in Toronto, Canada, in the North America region.
How does PIVX make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Block Rewards are the primary driver. The others are treasury/Governance.
Who are PIVX's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Pirate Chain, Zcash, Dash, Firo and Monero. Emerging players are Verge, Secret Network, Horizen and Decred. BasicSwap DEX is listed as an others.
Does PIVX have an API?
No public API is recorded for PIVX.
What industry is PIVX in?
PIVX's product category is Cryptocurrency. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSAPAJAM, Privacy, Data Protection & Compliance (zk compliance, GDPR/PII handling). Its NAICS code is 52232 and its SIC code is 6199.