Governance Dispute Sparks Full Team Exit While Zcash Network Continues Unaffected
The core development team behind privacy-focused cryptocurrency Zcash has officially split from the Electric Coin Company (ECC) and announced plans to form a new independent firm, following escalating governance disagreements with the nonprofit board that supports the project.
Electric Coin Company Team Resigns Over Governance Dispute
ECC CEO Josh Swihart confirmed that the entire ECC team has resigned, citing fundamental misalignment with members of the nonprofit board known as Bootstrap. According to Swihart, recent changes to employment terms and governance direction made it impossible for the team to continue operating with integrity.
He stated that the decision was driven by the need to protect the team’s work from harmful governance actions and reaffirmed that the departing developers remain committed to their original goal of building censorship-resistant private digital money.
Despite the organizational split, the Zcash network itself remains unaffected. The protocol is fully open-source, permissionless, and decentralized, meaning no single company controls its operation. Users, miners, and node operators can continue participating without disruption.
Mixed Reactions From Zcash Leadership
Former ECC leadership publicly defended the nonprofit board, emphasizing the integrity of its members and reiterating that internal disputes do not impact Zcash’s security or privacy guarantees.
Following the announcement, Zcash’s price declined nearly 7%, trading in a volatile range after previously benefiting from a broader privacy-coin rally.While governance tensions have reshaped the development landscape, Zcash’s core technology and network remain fully operational, underscoring the resilience of decentralized systems.
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