Tari, privacy-focused network from early Monero contributors, launches mainnet to open mining to all

Tari Labs launched its much-anticipated Tari mainnet on Tuesday, unveiling a new Layer 1 blockchain and desktop app designed to open “crypto mining to a global audience,” the team wrote in a statement. 

“Anyone with a Mac or PC can download the Tari Universe application at www.tari.com, install it in minutes, and earn rewards by harnessing their computer’s processing power to mine Tari tokens (XTM),” according to the release. 

The Tari network is often described as a merge-mined sidechain of Monero, tapping into the network’s proof-of-work security model to mine half of its blocks on Tari and half on Monero. However, the team often rejects the “sidechain” label, preferring to call it a distinct Layer 1.

Tari’s founders — early Monero contributors Naveen Jain and Riccardo “fluffypony” Spagni — were inspired by the early days of Bitcoin, when anyone with a personal computer could contribute hashing power and earn mining rewards.

Tari uses a bespoke RandomX hashing algorithm designed to be "ASIC-resistant," in an effort to prevent the runaway economic incentive structure that turned Bitcoin mining into such a competitive and commoditized industry. 

“Tari Universe gamifies mining by visualizing the proof-of-work process as miners race to solve the chain's blocks and build the next ‘floor’ of the Tari blockchain tower,” the team said. “Users can easily control how much computational power is dedicated to mining and pause or stop mining at any time with a single click.”

According to the release, the average Tari miner spent more than four hours per day mining. About 100,000 participated in the Tari testnet program through the Tari Universe desktop app.

Tari Labs said it plans to launch a cross-chain exchange layer and native app store.

Last May, Tari started an airdrop program to reward early adopters for doing “tasks” like engaging with the brand on X, joining the Tari Reddit community, and creating memes featuring "Soon," Tari’s turtle mascot.

Like Monero, Tari defaults to private balances and transaction histories. It uses the Mimblewimble protocol for lightweight, private transactions and includes a modification that allows for reusable emoji-based addresses.

Tari Labs is backed by Blockchain Capital, Pantera, CMT Digital, Slow Ventures, and DV Chain, among others. The firm raised a $1.25 million seed round in 2018 followed by $12.6 million early-stage VC round in 2021 with two undisclosed secondary transactions, according to Pitchbook.