Zcash
by Electric Coin Company
Quick Fact
Zcash was the first cryptocurrency to implement zk-SNARKs in a live network, enabling fully private transactions while maintaining a public blockchain.
Built-In Privacy for Peer-to-Peer Payments
Zcash is a decentralized, open-source cryptocurrency focused on privacy and fungibility. It offers two types of addresses: transparent addresses (t-addresses) that behave like Bitcoin, and shielded addresses (z-addresses) that use zero-knowledge cryptography to encrypt sender, receiver, and transaction amount on-chain.
zk-SNARKs for Privacy Without Trust
Zcash introduced zk-SNARKs (zero-knowledge succinct non-interactive arguments of knowledge), allowing one party to prove possession of certain information without revealing that information. This cryptographic breakthrough enables verifiable but private transactions, making Zcash a foundational layer in the evolution of privacy-preserving blockchain technology.
Selective Disclosure and Compliance Flexibility
Unlike privacy coins that operate in a fully opaque system, Zcash enables selective disclosure. Users can voluntarily share transaction details with auditors, exchanges, or counterparties, allowing Zcash to serve both privacy-conscious individuals and institutions that require regulatory reporting.