What is the GHOST Archive?

The GHOST Archive is an independent historical and technical research archive covering John McAfee's GHOST privacy cryptocurrency, including its whitepapers, technology, ecosystem, controversy, and post-2020 development. It is not the official GHOST project and is not affiliated with John McAfee's estate or any related project.

Is the GHOST Archive investment advice?

No. The GHOST Archive is an independent research project and does not provide investment advice. All market and status indicators require current verification.

When did John McAfee's GHOST coin launch?

GHOST was announced in April 2020, distributed via the ESH snapshot on May 25, 2020, and reached mainnet genesis on June 22, 2020.

What is The GHOST Archive?

John McAfee GHOST Coin : The definitive independent research , whitepapers, and legacy of John McAfee's GHOST privacy cryptocurrency.

RESEARCH ARTICLE

John McAfee GHOST Coin: The Complete History of His Privacy Cryptocurrency

Whitepaper, history & privacy technology — an independent archive.

Editorial metadata · E-E-A-T

Author

The GHOST Archive Editorial Team

Editor

The GHOST Archive Editorial Team

Published

2024-01-01

Updated

2026-10-08

Last verified

2026-10-08

Direct answer

John McAfee's GHOST coin was a Proof-of-Stake privacy cryptocurrency announced in April 2020 and launched on mainnet on June 22, 2020. It evolved through multiple whitepapers, a pivot from a PIVX-related proposal to a Particl-derived architecture, an ecosystem of exchange, messaging, browser-wallet, mobile-data, and stablecoin concepts, and years of community development after McAfee's death. This archive reconstructs that history from original whitepapers, source code, contemporary reporting, and public blockchain records.

The shortest complete answer

GHOST is a privacy coin John McAfee announced in 2020. Its first whitepaper described a PIVX-related Proof-of-Stake design; after a plagiarism controversy, the project moved to a Particl-derived blockchain using RingCT, stealth addresses, Bulletproofs, and Dandelion++. Mainnet launched June 22, 2020. McAfee left in August 2020, returned in October 2020, and the community continued developing GHOST for years after his death, releasing an updated whitepaper in December 2024.

Key facts at a glance

Attribute	Value
Announced	April 2020
Distribution	May 25, 2020 (ESH snapshot)
Mainnet genesis	June 22, 2020
Consensus	Proof of Stake
Supply target	55,000,000 GHOST (soft cap)
Privacy stack	RingCT, Stealth Addresses, Bulletproofs, Dandelion++
Public face	John McAfee

Where to go next

›Read the Whitepaper Archive for the original, revised, and 2024 documents.
›Explore the Technology section for RingCT, stealth addresses, Bulletproofs, and Dandelion++.
›Walk the 2020–2026 Timeline for the full sequence of events.
›Check the Current Status page for the live state of the network, code, development, and markets.

Sources

S-01Original GHOST Whitepaper (May 2020)PRIMARY
2020-05 · whitepaper · supports: Original architecture, ESH distribution, supply proposal
https://web.archive.org/web/2020/https://ghostbymcafee.com/
S-02Revised GHOST Whitepaper (June 2020)PRIMARY
2020-06 · whitepaper · supports: Particl-derived architecture, RingCT, stealth addresses, Bulletproofs, Dandelion++
https://github.com/ghost-coin
S-03Updated GHOST Privacy Whitepaper (December 2024)PRIMARY
2024-12 · whitepaper · supports: Current privacy stack, tokenomics, Ghost Veterans, governance
https://github.com/ghost-coin
S-09Cointelegraph coverageSECONDARY
2020–2021 · news coverage · supports: Launch, controversies, McAfee departure/return
https://cointelegraph.com/
S-12CoinGecko listingSECONDARY
ongoing · market data · supports: Market status, trading halt observation
https://www.coingecko.com/en/coins/ghost