Zcash (ZEC)

Zcash is a privacy-focused cryptocurrency that uses trustless zero-knowledge proofs to enable fully encrypted transactions while maintaining blockchain transparency and security. It was the first cryptocurrency to implement zero-knowledge encryption for private peer-to-peer payments, addressing the fundamental privacy gap in traditional cryptocurrencies that expose transaction details publicly. With a fixed supply of 21 million ZEC and a halving schedule similar to Bitcoin, Zcash allows users to prove transactions are valid without revealing sensitive information like wallet balances, transaction amounts, or participant identities, making it suitable for everyday payments, long-term savings, and cross-border money transfers where financial confidentiality matters. The protocol operates on its own blockchain currently using Proof-of-Work consensus, though it's evolving toward Proof-of-Stake through the planned "Crosslink" upgrade to enhance security, scalability, and energy efficiency. Zcash employs trustless zero-knowledge proofs (Halo) within its Orchard shielded pool to verify transactions without revealing sender, receiver, or amount information. Users can choose between transparent public transactions and shielded private transactions through Unified Addresses, which work with both types.

Description from CoinGecko.

Coin details

Name

Zcash

Symbol

ZEC

Market cap rank

#11

Category

Smart Contract Platform, Privacy Coins, Layer 1 (L1)

Runs on

Its own blockchain

Hashing algorithm

Equihash

Launched (genesis)

28 Oct 2016

Circulating supply

17,036,183 ZEC

Max supply

21,000,000 ZEC

Price in INR

₹88,941.29

Tax in India

30% on gains + 1% TDS on sale

Website

z.cash

Whitepaper

zips.z.cash/protocol/protocol.pdf

Explorer

zecblock.com

X (Twitter)

x.com/zcash

GitHub

github.com/zcash/zcash