1. A ledger kept by everyone
A digital currency is a big ledger saying who owns what. With a bank, the bank keeps it. With NumFranc, every computer on the network keeps a full copy and checks every operation itself. Nobody can change it alone.
2. Your wallet and your keys
Your wallet holds a private key that never leaves your computer, and public addresses (NFR1-…) that you share to get paid. To pay, the wallet signs the payment with the private key; anyone can verify the signature, nobody can forge it. NumFranc uses ML-DSA-87, a signature designed to resist future quantum computers (learn more).
3. Unspent coins
There are no "accounts" with a balance: there are coins (outputs of earlier payments). Paying means spending one or more coins and creating new ones: one for the recipient and the change for you. Your balance is the sum of your coins — the same model as Bitcoin.
4. Blocks and the chain
About every 691 seconds, pending payments are grouped into a block. Each block contains the SHA3-512 fingerprint of the previous one: changing an old block would break all the following ones. This chain of blocks makes history tamper-proof.
5. Mining
To add a block, a computer must find, by trial and error, a fingerprint smaller than a target: this is proof of work. NumFranc uses Argon2d, which makes every attempt fill 4 MiB of memory, so specialised machines lose most of their edge and an ordinary computer stays competitive. The first to succeed gets the block reward (6.91 NFR today) plus fees. Difficulty adjusts every 691 blocks to keep the pace.
6. A network with no central server
Computers find each other on their own: on your local network, then worldwide through a distributed directory. NumFranc also opens the port on your router automatically (UPnP, NAT-PMP, PCP) so others can reach you.
7. Protections
Against cheating
Every computer checks everything itself: signatures, amounts, rules.
Against rewriting
Chain chosen by accumulated work, rewrites limited to 10 blocks, checkpoints.
Against theft
Wallet encrypted twice, separate spending code, cancellable held payments.
Against fake versions
Every release is signed with SLH-DSA (post-quantum) and checked twice before installing.
NumFranc aims to become a leading post-quantum payment infrastructure, used by individuals and businesses alike. Open-source software under development: no NFR for sale, no promise of value.