Zcash is a privacy-focused cryptocurrency that uses advanced cryptography called zk-SNARKs to enable fully shielded transactions. Born from decades of cryptographic research, it offers financial privacy while maintaining the security of a public blockchain.
Zcash (ZEC) is a decentralized cryptocurrency focused on privacy and anonymity. It was launched on October 28, 2016, by the Electric Coin Company (ECC), founded by Zooko Wilcox-O'Hearn. Zcash is a fork of Bitcoin but implements a revolutionary cryptographic technique called zk-SNARKs.
Unlike Bitcoin where all transactions are publicly visible on the blockchain, Zcash gives users the option to shield their transactions. When using shielded addresses (z-addresses), the sender, receiver, and transaction amount are all encrypted while still being verified by the network.
The project originated from academic research at MIT, Johns Hopkins, and other institutions. The Zerocash protocol paper, published in 2014, laid the theoretical foundation for what would become Zcash. This strong academic backing gives Zcash credibility in the cryptographic community.
Shielded transactions hide all details
Choose between transparent or private
Selective disclosure for compliance
Audited cryptography from academia
Zero-Knowledge Succinct Non-Interactive Arguments of Knowledge allow proving a statement is true without revealing any information about it.
Alice knows a secret value
Create mathematical proof without revealing secret
Anyone can verify the proof is valid
Secret remains hidden, transaction valid
Imagine proving you know a secret password without saying it. You could prove you can open a locked door (the verifier watches the door open), but the verifier never learns the password itself. That's zero-knowledge proof!
Like Bitcoin - fully public
Moving to private pool
Fully private transaction
Moving to public pool
| Coin | Privacy Method | Optional Privacy | Auditable | Founded |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Zcash(ZEC) | zk-SNARKs | 2016 | ||
Monero(XMR) | Ring Signatures | 2014 | ||
Dash(DASH) | CoinJoin | 2014 | ||
Secret(SCRT) | TEE | 2020 |
* Historical prices approximate. Not financial advice.
* Estimates based on current network difficulty. Does not include electricity costs.
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