Lonero

What Lonero does

Lonero (LNR) is a privately held, founder-controlled cryptocurrency project founded in 2018 and based in Ann Arbor, United States, operating with a core team of fewer than ten people led by Founder Andrew Kamal (also identified as Creator & CTO) and Co-Founder Luke Yaldo. The project positions itself as a privacy-focused digital cash and "decentralized internet" platform, targeting privacy-conscious cryptocurrency users, ASIC and non-ASIC miners, blockchain developers, and decentralization advocates. It addresses stated pain points around instability in privacy coins and altcoins, ASIC dominance in mining, centralization risk, and transaction privacy.

Technically, Lonero is built on Cryptonote protocols and a custom "HashBolt" hybrid masternode consensus that allows masternodes to earn mined rewards while holding LNR for locked periods to reduce network congestion, combining Proof of Work and Proof of Space mining and supporting both ASIC and non-ASIC hardware. The stack integrates Cryptonote ring-signature privacy, a proprietary multipath layer encryption scheme, and DAO governance. The product portfolio spans the LNR cryptocurrency, the Lonero Wallet 2.0, Lonero OS (developed with Stark Drones), a developer SDK, an API, the ChainBoard mining hardware component, a Decentralized Internet Package (beta), and an experimental "Bitcoin Efficient" hard-fork concept based on Proof of Computation over Hashcash.

The business operates on an open-source, community-led and product-led model rather than direct software sales. Wallet software and developer tools are distributed free via GitHub releases, ReadtheDocs, and related channels, with go-to-market driven through GitHub, Reddit, Twitter, Gitter, Hackernoon, and LeanPub. Economic value accrues through cryptocurrency mechanics — mining and masternode rewards paid in LNR, network transaction fees, and LNR token value derived from exchange trading. No product pricing, revenue figures, or external funding rounds are disclosed, and the documented development roadmap runs from September 2018 through October 2019.

Name

Lonero

Legal name

Lonero

Website

https://lonero.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Lonero (LNR) is a founder-led, open-source cryptocurrency and "decentralized internet" project using Cryptonote protocols and a custom HashBolt masternode consensus, serving privacy-focused crypto users, ASIC/non-ASIC miners, and blockchain developers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Ann Arbor

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Personnel, Infrastructure, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Mining Rewards: Miners and masternode operators earn LNR tokens as rewards for validating transactions and securing the network. Rewards are distributed based on hardware specifications and mathematical knowledge contributions.
2. Transaction Fees: Network transaction fees collected for processing transactions on the Lonero blockchain.
3. LNR Token Economics: As a cryptocurrency, LNR token value derives from market trading. Token is used for network participation, staking in masternodes, and transaction settlement.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Lonero (LNR) is a privacy-focused cryptocurrency built on Cryptonote protocols with a custom HashBolt masternode consensus that supports both ASIC and non-ASIC mining. The company distributes a digital wallet for storing and transacting LNR tokens, a developer SDK, and a custom operating system (Lonero OS) as part of its decentralized internet roadmap. All software is delivered as open-source downloads, with the LNR token available for trading on cryptocurrency exchanges.

Product overview

Lonero is a cryptocurrency project building a decentralized internet ecosystem. The core product is the Lonero (LNR) cryptocurrency using Cryptonote protocols and HashBolt masternode consensus. The portfolio includes the Lonero Wallet for token storage, Lonero OS (developed with Stark Drones), an SDK for developers, and the ChainBoard hardware component. Bitcoin Efficient represents a protocol upgrade for more energy-efficient mining. The Decentralized Internet Package forms part of their decentralized infrastructure vision.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Bitcoin Efficient: A hard fork concept that aims to be more energy efficient, decentralized, and accessible to both ASIC and non-ASIC miners based on Proof of Computation over Hashcash.
• HashBolt

Products and services

• Lonero (LNR) Cryptocurrency Core cryptocurrency token (LNR) built on Cryptonote ring signature protocols and HashBolt masternode consensus, designed to function as a privacy-preserving, decentralized digital cash. It is used for network participation, masternode staking, and transaction settlement, and is tradable on cryptocurrency exchanges.
• Lonero Wallet Open-source digital wallet for storing, sending, and receiving LNR tokens. Distributed as a free download via GitHub releases and intended for individual crypto users and miners.
• Lonero OS Custom operating system developed in collaboration with Stark Drones as part of the decentralized internet ecosystem. Available for download and aimed at users and developers building decentralized internet services on Lonero infrastructure.
• Lonero SDK Software development kit for building applications on the Lonero decentralized internet platform, accompanied by ReadTheDocs installation and critical-components guides. Targeted at blockchain and decentralized internet developers.
• ChainBoard Next-generation mining hardware component designed for the Lonero ecosystem, documented as part of LNR's open-source hardware initiative for miners.
• Decentralized Internet Package Beta version of a decentralized internet solution released as part of Lonero's roadmap for building decentralized internet infrastructure, targeted at developers and users building or consuming decentralized internet services.
• Lonero API Developer-facing API for programmatic access to Lonero platform functionality, with documentation published at lonero-team.github.io/API/. Targeted at developers integrating Lonero into third-party applications and services.

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

Yes

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature7 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Stark DronescoreTechnology or Integration · 19 May 2019Stark Drones collaborated with Lonero on the Lonero OS v1 launch in May 2019. The partnership integrates Lonero's decentralized internet technology with Stark Drones' platform. Lonero OS is available through starkdrones.org/home/os and the collaboration represents a key product integration for both projects.
• Cryptonote FoundationcoreTechnology or IntegrationLonero integrates the Cryptonote foundation's widely trusted ring signature protocols into its blockchain technology. This provides Lonero with proven privacy technology that enhances transaction security and anonymity.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Decred (DCR): Hybrid Proof-of-Work/Proof-of-Stake cryptocurrency with on-chain governance; comparable to Lonero's hybrid mining and DAO-governance ambitions.

Emerging players

• Bytecoin (BCN): Original Cryptonote-based cryptocurrency from which Lonero derives its privacy primitives; relevant comparison as the upstream codebase reference.

Direct peers

• Firo (formerly Zcoin): Privacy coin using Lelantus protocol; competes for the privacy-coin user base and developer mindshare.
• Dash: Cryptocurrency with a masternode-based consensus and PrivateSend optional privacy feature; architecturally the closest analogue to Lonero's HashBolt masternode model.
• Horizen (ZEN): Privacy-focused blockchain with zk-SNARK shielded transactions and sidechain-enabled app deployment, similar in ambition to Lonero's wallet-plus-OS-plus-SDK stack.
• PIVX: Privacy coin built on a masternode and Proof-of-Stake hybrid consensus; competes in the same niche as Lonero with zk-SNARK privacy and masternode economics.
• Zcash: Major privacy coin using zk-SNARKs for shielded transactions; competes for the same privacy-conscious user base and exchange liquidity as Lonero.
• Verge (XVG): Privacy-oriented cryptocurrency using multiple anonymity-centric networks (Tor/I2P); competes for privacy-coin retail users and liquidity.
• Monero: The leading privacy-focused cryptocurrency using Cryptonote-derived ring signatures; the dominant direct competitor to Lonero in the privacy-coin category and the standard Lonero's privacy architecture is benchmarked against.

Others

• Stark Drones: Lonero's named operating-system distribution and product collaboration partner; ecosystem participant rather than a competing cryptocurrency.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/LoneroLNR
• GitHubgithub.com/Lonero-Team

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Lonero