Former Zcash developers have launched a new startup and privacy-first wallet called cashZ, positioning it as a successor to the popular Zashi wallet while keeping their focus squarely on the Zcash ecosystem. The move follows the team’s collective resignation from the Electric Coin Company (ECC) after a governance dispute, but they stress that Zcash itself and its core roadmap remain unchanged.
Resigned ECC Team Regroups Around cashZ
A large part of the engineering team behind Zcash and the Zashi wallet left ECC this week, including former CEO Josh Swihart, after clashes with the ECC board and its oversight foundation Bootstrap. Within hours of the resignations, the group unveiled a new for‑profit startup branded CashZ and announced its first product, a dedicated Zcash wallet named cashZ.
Swihart has framed the shift as a strategic move away from nonprofit constraints toward a startup model that can “scale Zcash to billions of users,” while reiterating that there will be no new blockchain, token, or attempt to fork the existing ecosystem.
Media reports indicate that the launch also aims to give the former ECC team more independence over product direction while still building on Zcash’s privacy technology.
New Wallet Built on Zashi Codebase
The cashZ wallet is being developed on the same codebase that powered Zashi, allowing existing users to migrate their ZEC accounts with minimal friction once the new app goes live. The team says migration support will cover asset transfers and account continuity, aiming to preserve the user experience Zashi users are familiar with while operating under the new brand.
According to statements from Swihart and accompanying press coverage, cashZ will retain a strong emphasis on usability and shielded privacy features, targeting everyday ZEC holders who want simple access to private transactions.
The startup has already opened a public waitlist on its website, with reports indicating thousands of early sign‑ups and a launch timeline measured in “a few weeks” rather than months.
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