Decred (DCR) is a blockchain-based cryptocurrency designed to provide a secure, efficient, and sustainable platform for transactions and community-driven development. It emphasizes decentralized community governance and utilizes a hybrid Proof-of-Work (PoW) and Proof-of-Stake (PoS) consensus mechanism to ensure security, decentralization, and user participation.
Decred combines a hybrid consensus mechanism that integrates PoW and PoS. In this system, PoW miners process and validate transactions, while PoS stakeholders use voting tickets obtained by staking Decred coins to participate in governance decisions and approve miners' work. The hybrid system ensures enhanced security and decentralization, and 10% of block rewards fund the Decred Treasury for ongoing project development. The blockchain implements the Blake-256 algorithm, supports the Lightning Network for scalability, and enables atomic swaps for secure peer-to-peer trading.
Decred can be used for various applications, including:
Decred originated from a proposal for a cryptocurrency called Memcoin2 in 2013. It was developed by the company behind it, led by Jake Yocom-Piatt, in collaboration with community members. Decred officially launched in February 2016, and significant developments include the introduction of atomic swaps in 2017, the launch of Politeia in 2018, Lightning Network integration in 2019, and the Decred DEX launch in 2020. It has a rich history of technological innovations and community-centric advancements.