$ZEC Here’s a breakdown of Zcash (ZEC) — what it is, how it works, its strengths & risks, and some current-market context. This is not financial advice.
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✅ What is Zcash?
Zcash is a cryptocurrency launched in 2016.
It is privacy-focused: by default it allows shielded transactions where sender, recipient & amount can be hidden via zero-knowledge proofs (specifically zk-SNARKs).
It also supports transparent transactions (like Bitcoin) — so the user has flexibility.
Supply mechanics: Maximum supply around 21 million ZEC.
Founded by the Electric Coin Company (ECC) and the Zcash Foundation; derived from concepts of Zerocash/Zerocoin.
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🧮 Key Features & Technology
Optional privacy: Users can choose between transparent addresses (like Bitcoin) or shielded ones. This gives a balance between privacy & compliance.
Zero‐knowledge proofs: The shielded transactions use zk-SNARKs, enabling verification of a transaction’s validity without revealing details.
Proof-of-work mining: Zcash uses a PoW model (originally Equihash algorithm) similar in broad strokes to Bitcoin, but with privacy enhancements.
Upgrade path: The protocol has seen major upgrades (for example “Orchard”) to improve performance, privacy, and scalability.
