Zcash (ZEC)

Zcash is an open payment network that lets users hide transaction details. Its native asset is ZEC. The network launched in 2016 with a monetary policy similar to Bitcoin’s: supply is capped at 21 million ZEC and the block reward halves roughly every four years. What sets Zcash apart is shielded transactions powered by zero-knowledge proofs.

Shielded and transparent addresses

Zcash has two kinds of addresses. Transparent addresses start with “t” and work like Bitcoin’s: sender, receiver and amount are visible on the public ledger. Shielded addresses hide that information. The network verifies that a transaction is valid, meaning the coins exist and are not spent twice, without revealing the details.

Privacy is a choice rather than the default, so not every transaction on the network is private. Wallets that put shielded use first have become more common in recent years, and the amount of ZEC held in shielded pools has grown. Exchanges mostly work with transparent addresses; before sending from a shielded address to an exchange, check whether the platform accepts that address type.

What do zero-knowledge proofs do?

A zero-knowledge proof shows that a statement is true without revealing its contents. Zcash was one of the first networks to use the technique widely in cryptocurrency. Early versions required a trusted setup ceremony; the 2022 Orchard upgrade moved to Halo 2, a proof system that needs no such setup. The same technology is now used in Ethereum scaling solutions.

Mining, supply and halvings

Zcash uses proof of work, mined with the Equihash algorithm. Part of the block reward goes to funds that finance the network’s development. Zcash’s most recent halving took place in November 2024. A halving slows new supply; it contains no rule that the price will change by the same amount or at the same time. The community is also discussing a future move to a model that includes proof-of-stake elements.

Who develops Zcash?

Several organisations contribute to Zcash. The Electric Coin Company was the protocol’s original developer. The Zcash Foundation, an independent nonprofit, maintains alternative node software and funds research. Protocol changes are proposed as ZIPs and activated through network upgrades.

How to read the market data

The price, volume and market cap on this page show the global ZEC market. The price on the platform you use can differ from this indicator depending on that market’s liquidity and the exchange rate applied. Privacy coins can react strongly to regulatory news; when assessing ZEC’s price moves, watch exchange access and shielded usage data together.

Official sources

• Zcash: project information
• Zcash: technical documentation
• Zcash Foundation