Mina is working on achieving an efficient distributed payment system that enables users to natively verify the platform right from the genesis block. Its technical whitepaper calls this a “succinct blockchain.”The protocol uses Zero-Knowledge Succinct Non-Interactive Arguments of Knowledge (zk-SNARKs), a cryptographic proof that enables someone to authenticate information without revealing said information. However, enabling a user to trace the platform back to its genesis block can be impractical in a large network. As such, Mina incrementally computes SNARKS that concentrate only on the last few blocks — meaning that end-users check that zk-SNARK-compressed proof, instead of a block’s entire transaction history. At the heart of Mina protocol is MINA, its native currency, which functions as a utility coin and medium of exchange....