The Zcash Community Ecosystem
Zcash is governed and developed by a distributed community of contributors, developers, researchers, and advocates. Unlike purely corporate-led projects, Zcash has a multi-stakeholder model with several key organisations and community bodies:
- Electric Coin Company (ECC): The original creators of Zcash. Lead development of the core protocol, Zashi wallet, and key cryptographic innovations like Halo 2.
- Zcash Foundation: An independent non-profit that governs the Zcash trademark, funds ecosystem development, and runs the Zcash Community Grants (ZCG) program.
- Zcash Community Grants (ZCG): A committee funded by the Zcash development fund that grants ZEC to external developers and organisations building on Zcash.
- Zcash Community Advisory Panel (ZCAP): A panel of community members who vote on major governance decisions, including the Zcash trademark policy and protocol parameters.
How Zcash Governance Works
Zcash protocol changes are proposed and debated through the ZIP (Zcash Improvement Proposal) process. Anyone can write a ZIP - a document specifying a change to the Zcash protocol, standards, or processes. ZIPs go through: Draft → Active/Withdrawn/Rejected status.
Key governance forums:
- Zcash Forums (forum.zcashcommunity.com) - Primary community discussion platform for ZIPs, grants, and ecosystem debate
- GitHub (github.com/zcash) - Code contributions, ZIP submissions, and technical discussion
- Zcash Community Discord - Real-time community chat for developers and enthusiasts
Major protocol upgrades (Network Upgrades) require consensus from both ECC and the Zcash Foundation, with community input through ZCAP votes.
Getting a Zcash Community Grant
The Zcash Community Grants program funds projects that benefit the Zcash ecosystem. Grants have funded wallets (Zashi, YWallet, Nighthawk), protocol research, developer tools, educational content, and community initiatives.
How to apply:
Develop Your Proposal
Write a clear proposal covering: what you're building, why it benefits Zcash, your team's credentials, a timeline, and a budget breakdown in USD and ZEC.
Post to the Zcash Forums
Create a thread in the Grants category on forum.zcashcommunity.com. Early community feedback shapes stronger proposals. Engage actively with questions and suggestions.
Submit a Formal Application
Submit through the official ZCG grant application process. The ZCG committee reviews applications and votes on funding within their monthly meetings.
Deliver Milestones
Grants are typically disbursed in milestones tied to deliverables. Regular progress updates to the community and ZCG are required throughout the grant period.
Contributing to Zcash Without a Grant
Most Zcash community contributions don't require a grant. You can contribute:
- Code: Submit pull requests to github.com/zcash. Good first issues are labelled for newcomers.
- Documentation: Improve or translate Zcash documentation at z.cash
- Education: Write guides, create videos, or run local meetups
- Testing: Run testnet nodes, test new wallet releases, report bugs
- Advocacy: Write about Zcash's privacy technology, speak at events, or translate content into other languages
Key Community Resources
| Resource | URL | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Zcash Foundation | z.cash.foundation | Governance, grants, trademark |
| ECC | electriccoin.co | Core protocol development |
| Zcash Forums | forum.zcashcommunity.com | Proposals, discussion, grants |
| GitHub | github.com/zcash | Code, ZIPs, issues |
| Zcash Website | z.cash | Official documentation |
⚠ Disclaimer: Zcash.Cafe is an independent community resource, not affiliated with the Zcash Foundation or Electric Coin Company. Always verify grant procedures and governance processes through official channels at z.cash.