Block?

Ergo is not private by default like Monero, but offers powerful optional privacy tools. ErgoMixer provides non-interactive, non-custodial mixing. Sigma Protocols enable zero-knowledge proofs in smart contracts. Stealth addresses hide recipients. The key difference: Ergo's privacy is programmable - you choose when and how much to reveal.

Storage rent is Ergo's solution to state bloat. Boxes (UTXOs) that remain unspent for 4+ years can have a small fee deducted by miners. This incentivizes cleaning up unused state, provides long-term miner revenue after emission ends, and keeps the blockchain sustainable. Lost coins eventually return to circulation instead of being locked forever.

Storage rent is Ergo's mechanism for long-term sustainability. Boxes (UTXOs) that remain unspent for ~4 years pay a small fee, which goes to miners. This prevents state bloat, recirculates lost coins, and ensures miners have income even after emission ends. It's like paying rent for blockchain storage space.

Ergo miners earn from three sources: block rewards (newly minted ERG), transaction fees, and storage rent. Block rewards decrease over time according to the emission schedule, but storage rent ensures long-term income even after all ERG is mined. Most miners use pools for consistent payouts.