Celebrating a Decade: Verge

15 окт.

Verge is shaping up to be the project with the most potential for improvement.

"Verge has not only shaped the digital currency space, but it has also had a profound impact on the lives of countless individuals, including myself.

Let me introduce myself for those that are new to Verge and might not know me. I’m Mihael Radoslovic, and my journey with Verge began in 2017 when I decided to volunteer for this incredible project. What started as an interest in blockchain quickly evolved into something far more personal. Verge became an integral part of my life, and through it, I formed friendships with amazing people from all around the world. In fact, my passion for Verge is etched on my skin — quite literally. I have a tattoo on my arm that reads, “On the VERGE of greatness”, alongside the Verge logo, symbolizing not just the project, but the personal transformation it inspired in me.

Verge didn’t just introduce me to new technologies — it changed the entire course of my career. Through the community, I connected with innovative minds like the founders of Voice Life, and that meeting catalysed my journey from a mechanical engineer to a now serial entrepreneur and advisor in cutting-edge technologies. Verge was more than just a digital currency to me; it became the platform through which I found my passion, my purpose, and my drive to build, innovate, and contribute to a better future.

Verge: Community Driven From Day One

Verge’s story begins in 2014, back when it was known as DogeCoinDark. Justin (Sunerok) founded Verge as a community-driven project to offer privacy-focused transactions. Its roots were humble, but its vision was bold. In 2016, a major shift happened when the project was rebranded as Verge Currency. This marked a significant turning point, one that set the tone for what Verge would become: a secure and user-friendly digital currency with the mission of empowering users to transact securely, privately, and efficiently.

From day one, Verge differentiated itself by focusing on real-world use cases and building a strong, passionate community. In the early days, the introduction of privacy tools like Tor and I2P made Verge stand out as a privacy-focused alternative to other digital currencies. Verge’s IP obfuscation feature, launched in 2017, allowed users to toggle between public and private transactions on a public ledger, a revolutionary feature at the time.

“When I started Verge, it was just a passion project — an idea to create something that respected people’s privacy without sacrificing transparency. Back then, I could hardly imagine it would grow into this incredible movement, with a community that’s truly global and unwavering in its support. It still blows my mind that Verge has come this far!

Looking back, it hasn’t been an easy road. We’ve faced challenges, seen the highs and lows, but every time, the community stepped up. They stuck by us, contributed their time, energy, ideas — and that’s what has kept Verge moving forward. It’s this community-driven spirit that makes Verge special, something more than just a digital currency. We’ve managed to stay true to our core mission and vision, and that’s a rare thing these days.

I’m beyond grateful to everyone who has been a part of this journey. Whether you’ve been here from the early days or just joined, every single one of you has helped shape Verge into what it is today. And honestly, I feel like we’re just getting started! There’s so much more ahead, and I can’t wait to see where the next decade takes us. Here’s to the future — and thank you for believing in Verge and what it stands for.” — Justin (Sunerok), Verge Founder and Lead Developer

Verge’s development has always been driven by volunteers and community members, a decentralized effort that aligned perfectly with its philosophy. And this grassroots movement resonated with me deeply. I’ve watched Verge grow from an experimental project into one that caught the attention of major industries. The 2018 partnership with MindGeek, for example, was a milestone moment in crypto history. Verge became one of the first digital currencies to be widely accepted in an industry outside of finance, proving its versatility and usability.

In 2023, Verge reached a major milestone when the final XVG coin was mined, achieving its maximum supply of 16,521,951,236 XVG coins. Verge became the first fully mined PoW coin. This capped supply means that no more Verge coins can be issued, ensuring a fixed circulating supply and reinforcing Verge’s deflationary nature moving forward. This moment marked the completion of Verge’s mining phase, and the beginning of a new era focused on utility, adoption, and further technological advancements. In the same year, Verge took another major leap by becoming ISO 20022 compliant, bridging the gap between decentralized finance and traditional financial systems.

Over the years, Verge has achieved numerous milestones, from being listed on Binance in 2017 to its consistent upgrades and improvements that ensure faster transaction speeds and lower fees. But what truly defines Verge is its community — a global network of developers, enthusiasts, and volunteers who have stayed committed to the project’s core principles. This open-source movement is what made Verge so unique and why it has resonated with me and so many others over the years.

It is important to note that Verge’s journey hasn’t always been smooth. It faced its share of challenges, including minor security breaches and scepticism from the wider crypto community. Yet, each time, Verge community bounced back stronger, constantly innovating and improving its technology to stay ahead of the curve.

The Verge Community: VergeFam

If there’s one thing that truly sets Verge apart from countless other digital currency projects, it’s the community — VergeFam. From the very beginning, Verge has thrived because of the people behind it — volunteers, developers, contributors, and users — all united by a shared belief in privacy, open-source model, and the power of digital currency to change the way we transact. Unlike many projects that relied on paid teams or venture capital, Verge was powered by its community-first approach. This decentralized, open-source model meant that anyone with the passion and skill could contribute, making Verge a truly grassroots project.

But beyond the code and development, the Verge community is special because it feels like a family. I’ve experienced this firsthand — over the years, I’ve built lasting friendships with people from all corners of the world, all through this shared mission. Whether it’s through discussions in online forums, Twitter (X), Telegram groups, or attending events in person, the bond within this community is strong and unique. There’s a collective sense that we’re all in this together, working toward a common goal of a better world.

What really impresses me is the resilience and commitment of the Verge community. Despite the challenges, the ups and downs, the market swings, and even technical hurdles, the community has always rallied. Every setback has only made Verge stronger, and every challenge has been met with innovation and determination. Whether it’s supporting each other during times of uncertainty or celebrating milestones together, there’s a level of support here that you rarely find in the digital currency space.

For me, the community is the backbone of Verge, and it’s one of the key reasons why I’ve stayed involved for so long and will remain involved forever. The passion of its members, the collective intelligence, and the unwavering support is what fuels this project, and I’m proud to be a part of it. It’s not just about a digital currency — it’s about a movement. And that movement has been the driving force behind Verge’s success.

Verge’s Technology: Privacy on a Public Blockchain

At its core, Verge builds upon the Bitcoin Core codebase, benefiting from the stability and security of a well-tested framework. However, Verge enhances this by reducing block times to just 30 seconds, significantly speeding up transaction confirmations compared to Bitcoin’s 10-minute blocks. This makes Verge an ideal currency for everyday transactions, where speed is key. Transactions are also extremely affordable, with fees as low as 0.1 XVG per transfer, making it a practical solution for global micropayments.

One of the most defining aspects of Verge is how it has integrated privacy features on top of a public blockchain, striking a balance between privacy and regulatory compliance. While privacy coins operate on fully private blockchains, Verge has chosen a different path — its blockchain remains entirely public, allowing for transparency while offering users advanced privacy features to safeguard their personal information.

By using Tor and I2P networks, Verge allows users to obfuscate their IP addresses during transactions, making it much harder for third parties to trace where a transaction originated from. But unlike private blockchains, Verge’s ledger remains open and transparent, ensuring that it complies with regulatory standards — a critical factor in Verge maintaining its listing on exchanges that have delisted privacy coins.

Further enhancing privacy is Verge’s Dual-Key Stealth Addressing system. This feature allows users to generate one-time-use addresses for transactions, which means that each payment appears to go to a different address on the blockchain, making it nearly impossible to link multiple transactions to a single recipient. Despite this level of privacy, Verge’s blockchain remains verifiable and auditable, ensuring that it operates within legal frameworks while still protecting user privacy.

Verge’s approach — offering privacy on a public blockchain — sets it apart in the digital currency space. It has managed to achieve the best of both worlds: allowing users to protect their identity and transaction details while maintaining a public ledger that ensures transparency and compliance with regulations. This makes Verge a standout project in an increasingly privacy-conscious world, providing both the security users need and the oversight that regulators demand.

The multi-algorithm Proof-of-Work (PoW) mining system is another feature that kept Verge decentralized and accessible to a wide range of miners. By supporting multiple mining algorithms, Verge ensured that mining is distributed and competitive, rather than concentrated among a small group of individuals or organizations.

The Future of Verge: Entering a New Era of Innovation

Now that we’ve looked back at Verge’s incredible journey, it’s time to set our sights on the future. Verge has always strived to be at the forefront of innovation, pushing the boundaries of what’s possible with blockchain technology while staying true to its core principles of security, efficiency, accessibility and privacy features on top of a public blockchain. As we move forward, Verge is poised to lead in the next era of blockchain evolution.

The world of digital currencies is changing rapidly, and the future will require solutions that are not only fast and secure but also resilient against the challenges that lie ahead. At Verge, we are preparing for that future. The project has never stood still — it has always evolved to meet the demands of the ever-shifting digital landscape. We are committed to making Verge even more robust, bulletproof, and future proof.

This next chapter will see Verge entering new realms of possibility. As we prepare to integrate cutting-edge technologies and adapt to the challenges that new developments may bring, we are entering a new era of growth and resilience. Verge has always been about empowering users with privacy and security, and as we look to the future, we will continue to ensure that Verge remains a trusted and advanced digital currency for years to come.

While we can’t reveal all the details just yet, we can assure you that the future of Verge will be marked by continued innovation. We are getting ready to build something even greater — something that will ensure Verge remains a leader in the digital currency space for decades to come. The best is yet to come, and I invite you to stay with us on this exciting journey as we take Verge to new heights. Looking forward to the next decade!"

Quote by Mihael Radoslovi from Verge Currency