← Zcashreviewed 2026-09-06 · 25 claims checked
Fact-check findings
What an automated fact-checker found when it re-read Zcash against the sources the page cites. Only the most recent review is shown.
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These findings are produced by an automated reviewer, and its results vary between runs: the same page, checked three times on the same day, came back with 15%, 20% and 34% of its claims disputed, mostly because each run extracted a different number of claims. Treat what follows as leads, not rulings.
“Disputed” means the reviewer could not reconcile the claim with the evidence it cited. It does not mean the claim is false. “Unverifiable” means no reachable source settled it either way.
Nothing here changes the page on its own. A proposed correction is applied only after a human moderator approves it; until then the page reads as it did when reviewed.
stale
1 claimThe claim was accurate when written but events since have overtaken it.
- #24[stale][awaiting moderator]in section: Protocol Upgrades and Trust Signals
“As of late 2025, approximately 4.8 million ZEC (about 29.4% of circulating supply) was held in shielded pools, with the Orchard pool accounting for the majority.”
reviewerAs of late 2025, approximately 4.8 million ZEC (about 29.4% of circulating supply) was held in shielded pools, with the Orchard pool accounting for the majority, and the Sprout pool holds only ~25,591 ZEC.The late-2025 shielded-pool figures were accurate at the time but have since been superseded by a major, unreported security event: a critical counterfeiting vulnerability in Orchard (discovered May 2026) led to an emergency fork and the July 2026 Ironwood upgrade that sealed and replaced the Orchard pool. The page presents outdated pool statistics as current without any indication of this intervening event.Proposed correction (not yet applied)As of late 2025, approximately 4.8 million ZEC (about 29.4% of circulating supply) was held in shielded pools, with the Orchard pool accounting for the majority; in May 2026, a four-year-old counterfeiting vulnerability was discovered in Orchard's proof circuit by Shielded Labs researcher Taylor Hornby, prompting an emergency soft fork and the July 2026 Ironwood (NU6.3) upgrade, which sealed the Orchard pool and replaced it with a new shielded pool.
partially supported
5 claimsThe cited evidence supports part of the claim but not all of it.
- #5[partially supported][awaiting moderator]in the timeline
“https://finance.yahoo.com/news/zcash-developer-team-resigns-governance-100044870.html”
reviewerZooko Wilcox-O'Hearn stepped down as CEO of Electric Coin Company on December 18, 2023, succeeded by Josh Swihart (timeline entry).The underlying fact is correct, but the citation attached to this timeline entry is a January 2026 article about an unrelated later event (the ECC team resignation) that only tangentially confirms the 2023 transition, rather than a contemporaneous report of the event itself. The source field text ('Zcash Developer Team Resigns - Yahoo Finance') also reveals this mismatch, since that headline describes the 2026 resignation, not the 2023 CEO change. - #10[partially supported][awaiting moderator]in section: Founders' Reward and Tokenomics Controversy
“Approximately 77 of 88 Community Advisory Panel members voted in favor of ZIP 1014, and coinholder votes representing 99.9% of staked ZEC also approved the proposal.”
reviewerThe Founders' Reward expired in November 2020; ZIP 1014 was adopted after a governance process with over twenty proposals, ~77 of 88 votes in favor, and 99.9% of staked coinholder votes in approval.The 77/88 and 99.9% figures themselves are accurate, but the page mischaracterizes the 88-person poll as consisting solely of 'Community Advisory Panel members' when it was actually a combined CAP-plus-forum-user poll, and conflates it with a separate, much smaller coinholder stake poll. - #13[partially supported][awaiting moderator]in section: Critical Security Vulnerability: Counterfeiting Bug (2018-2019)
“The 2022 Orchard protocol upgrade introduced the Halo 2 proving system, which requires no trusted setup, eliminating this class of vulnerability going forward.”
reviewerThe 2022 Orchard protocol upgrade introduced the Halo 2 proving system, which requires no trusted setup, eliminating this class of vulnerability going forward.The claim is technically accurate as narrowly stated (trusted-setup vulnerabilities specifically were eliminated), but the page's framing risks leaving readers with the false impression that Orchard/Halo2 has been free of counterfeiting-class bugs; a second, unrelated critical counterfeiting vulnerability was in fact found in Orchard in May 2026 and is not mentioned anywhere on the page. - #20[partially supported][awaiting moderator]in section: Exchange Delistings and Regulatory Pressure
“Binance placed ZEC in a community 'Vote to Delist' campaign in April 2025; ZEC received 8.6% of votes, the second-highest tally after FTX Token.”
reviewerBinance placed ZEC in a 'Vote to Delist' campaign in April 2025; ZEC received 8.6% of votes, the second-highest tally after FTX Token.The 8.6% figure is correct, but describing ZEC as uniquely 'the second-highest tally' omits that JasmyCoin received the identical 8.6% share, making the ranking description slightly misleading. - #21[partially supported][awaiting moderator]in the timeline
“Binance includes ZEC in a 'Vote to Delist' community campaign. ZEC receives 8.6% of votes (second-highest), drawing industry criticism.”
reviewerBinance's Vote to Delist campaign for ZEC ran starting April 10, 2025 (timeline entry).Same ranking-omission issue as the parallel claim in the Exchange Delistings section; grouped under the same defect.
confirmed
19 claimsThe cited evidence supports the claim as written.
- #1[confirmed][no action needed]in the summary
“Zcash (ZEC) is a privacy-focused proof-of-work cryptocurrency launched on October 28, 2016, notable as one of the first large-scale deployments of zero-knowledge proofs (zk-SNARKs) outside academia.”
reviewerZcash launched on October 28, 2016 and is a privacy-focused proof-of-work cryptocurrency using zk-SNARKs.Launch date and technical characterization are well-corroborated across multiple independent sources. - #2[confirmed][no action needed]in section: Overview and Technology
“As of May 2026, Zcash's market capitalization has risen sharply, with reported prices near $597 USD per ZEC and a total market cap near $10 billion, placing it among the top 15 cryptocurrencies by market capitalization.”
reviewerAs of May 2026, ZEC traded near $597 with a market cap near $10 billion, placing it among the top 15 cryptocurrencies.Price and market-cap figures are plausible for a specific day within the cited period and roughly consistent with independent reporting, though the page does not specify an exact date within May 2026, making precise verification imprecise. - #3[confirmed][no action needed]in section: Founders and Organizational Structure
“Zcash was founded by Zooko Wilcox-O'Hearn, a self-described cypherpunk and computer security specialist who previously worked on DigiCash with David Chaum in 1996 and was among the first to publicly write about Bitcoin in January 2009.”
reviewerZooko Wilcox-O'Hearn worked on DigiCash with David Chaum in 1996 and was among the first to write about Bitcoin in January 2009.Biographical claim is standard and well-documented. - #4[confirmed][no action needed]in section: Founders and Organizational Structure
“Wilcox-O'Hearn served as CEO of the Electric Coin Company until December 18, 2023, when he was succeeded by Josh Swihart.”
reviewerWilcox-O'Hearn served as CEO of the Electric Coin Company until December 18, 2023, when he was succeeded by Josh Swihart.Date and succession are confirmed by contemporaneous CoinDesk, The Block, and Blockworks reporting from December 2023. - #6[confirmed][no action needed]in section: Founders and Organizational Structure
“The Electric Coin Company rebranded from 'the Zcash Company' on February 21, 2019.”
reviewerThe Electric Coin Company rebranded from 'the Zcash Company' on February 21, 2019, and in 2020 became a wholly owned subsidiary of the Bootstrap Project, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit.Rebrand date and nonprofit transition are consistent with widely reported corporate history. - #7[confirmed][no action needed]in section: Founders and Organizational Structure
“In April 2022, Edward Snowden was publicly revealed to have participated in Zcash's 2016 trusted setup ceremony under the pseudonym 'John Dobbertin.' Snowden stated he participated out of public interest and received no compensation.”
reviewerIn April 2022, Edward Snowden was publicly revealed as 'John Dobbertin,' a participant in Zcash's 2016 trusted setup ceremony, confirmed in his own words.Reveal date, pseudonym, and Snowden's stated lack of compensation are corroborated by multiple contemporaneous sources. - #8[confirmed][no action needed]in section: Founders' Reward and Tokenomics Controversy
“From Zcash's launch in 2016, 20% of all block rewards were directed to an allocation known as the 'Founders' Reward,' which funded the Electric Coin Company, the Zcash Foundation, and early investors and employees including Zooko Wilcox-O'Hearn.”
reviewerFrom launch, 20% of block rewards were directed to the 'Founders' Reward,' and early investors received 100% of their allocation within the first year.The 20% figure and early-investor liquidity structure are consistently corroborated across independent sources. - #9[confirmed][no action needed]in section: Founders' Reward and Tokenomics Controversy
“Zooko Wilcox-O'Hearn was reportedly receiving approximately 2,000 ZEC per month in compensation during this period.”
reviewerZooko Wilcox-O'Hearn was reportedly receiving approximately 2,000 ZEC per month in compensation during the Founders' Reward period.Figure closely matches independently reported allocation data (~2,033 ZEC/month); the page's rounding is reasonable. - #11[confirmed][no action needed]in section: Critical Security Vulnerability: Counterfeiting Bug (2018-2019)
“On March 1, 2018, Zcash Company employee Ariel Gabizon discovered a critical vulnerability in the implementation of Zcash's zk-SNARK parameter setup.”
reviewerECC employee Ariel Gabizon discovered a critical zk-SNARK counterfeiting vulnerability on March 1, 2018; ECC kept it secret ~7 months; the fix was covertly deployed via the Sapling upgrade on October 28, 2018; public disclosure occurred February 5, 2019.Discovery, secrecy period, covert patch, and disclosure dates are all independently corroborated. One cited source is a third-party mirror of the original ECC blog post rather than an ECC-controlled domain, which is worth noting but does not change the substance of what it confirms. - #12[confirmed][no action needed]in section: Critical Security Vulnerability: Counterfeiting Bug (2018-2019)
“Other projects sharing the same codebase lineage, specifically Komodo and Horizen (formerly ZenCash), were also affected and notified in November 2018.”
reviewerOther projects sharing the same codebase lineage, Komodo and Horizen (formerly ZenCash), were also affected and notified in November 2018.Corroborated by the cited Security Affairs reporting. - #14[confirmed][no action needed]in section: Governance Crisis: ECC Team Resignation (January 2026)
“On January 7-8, 2026, the entire development team of the Electric Coin Company resigned, triggering a sharp governance crisis.”
reviewerOn January 7-8, 2026, the entire ECC development team resigned amid a governance dispute with Bootstrap board members Zaki Manian, Christina Garman, Alan Fairless, and Michelle Lai over the Zashi wallet spin-off; ZEC fell 14-20%.Well-corroborated across CoinDesk, The Block, Gizmodo, Brave New Coin, and other independent reporting. - #15[confirmed][no action needed]in section: Governance Crisis: ECC Team Resignation (January 2026)
“Following their departure, the former ECC team announced plans to form a new independent company and develop a new wallet named 'cashZ,' based on the Zashi codebase.”
reviewerThe former ECC team announced plans to form a new independent company and develop a new wallet named 'cashZ,' based on the Zashi codebase.Confirmed by contemporaneous reporting. - #16[confirmed][no action needed]in section: SEC Investigation (2023-2026)
“On August 31, 2023, the Zcash Foundation received a formal subpoena from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission in connection with an inquiry designated 'In the Matter of Certain Crypto Asset Offerings (SF-04569).'”
reviewerThe Zcash Foundation received a formal SEC subpoena on August 31, 2023 under inquiry 'SF-04569,' kept confidential for ~2.5 years, closed January 14, 2026 with no enforcement action recommended.Dates, case designation, and outcome are strongly corroborated across the Foundation's own notice and multiple independent outlets. - #17[confirmed][no action needed]in section: SEC Investigation (2023-2026)
“The announcement of the investigation's closure caused ZEC to rally approximately 10-14% in the short term.”
reviewerThe announcement of the SEC investigation's closure caused ZEC to rally approximately 10-14% in the short term.Price-reaction figure is consistent with contemporaneous market coverage. - #18[confirmed][no action needed]in section: 51% Hash Rate Concentration Risk (September 2023)
“Coinbase's blockchain security team publicly flagged the concentration on September 15, 2023, warning that single-entity control over a majority of a proof-of-work network's hashing power can enable double-spend attacks and other manipulation.”
reviewerIn September 2023, ViaBTC was reported to control approximately 51-53% of Zcash's hash rate; Coinbase flagged this September 15, 2023, and increased confirmations from ~18 to 110 blocks, extending deposit times from ~40 minutes to ~2.5 hours, and moved ZEC to limit-only trading.All figures and dates in this claim are independently corroborated by multiple contemporaneous outlets. - #19[confirmed][no action needed]in section: Exchange Delistings and Regulatory Pressure
“In 2024, privacy coins including ZEC experienced approximately 60 exchange removals globally, the highest count since 2021, driven in part by requirements under the European Union's Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) regulation, which reached full application in December 2024.”
reviewerIn 2024, privacy coins including ZEC experienced approximately 60 exchange removals globally, the highest count since 2021, driven partly by MiCA, which reached full application in December 2024.Figure and MiCA timing are confirmed by the cited source. - #22[confirmed][no action needed]in section: Exchange Delistings and Regulatory Pressure
“Industry figures including Digital Currency Group founder Barry Silbert and Ledger CTO Charles Guillemet publicly criticized Binance's inclusion of ZEC in the delisting vote.”
reviewerIndustry figures including Barry Silbert and Charles Guillemet publicly criticized Binance's inclusion of ZEC in the delisting vote.Confirmed by independent search results describing both individuals' reactions. - #23[confirmed][no action needed]in section: Illicit Use Research
“Among dark web markets that accepted cryptocurrency, only 1% accepted Zcash, compared to 59% for Bitcoin, 27% for Monero, 12% for Ether, and 1% for Litecoin.”
reviewerA 2020 RAND Europe report commissioned by ECC found only 1% of dark web markets accepted Zcash, versus 59% Bitcoin, 27% Monero, 12% Ether, and 1% Litecoin; the report concluded Zcash is 'seen as a less attractive option to dark web users.'Percentages and quoted characterization are confirmed by independent reporting on the RAND Europe study, which was indeed commissioned by ECC as the page discloses. - #25[confirmed][no action needed]in section: Protocol Upgrades and Trust Signals
“The protocol has been audited by academic cryptographers, and the Halo 2 proving system has been reviewed by Kudelski Security Research.”
reviewerThe Halo 2 proving system has been reviewed by Kudelski Security Research; the protocol has been audited by academic cryptographers and the specification is publicly available.Confirmed; Kudelski Security is a credentialed cryptographic research firm with a public analysis of Halo2.
How this fits together. The reviewer reads the published page and its cited sources and records one finding per claim. A human moderator decides whether each proposed correction is applied; those decisions, and the score changes they cause, appear in the audit log. Earlier review runs are not shown here; only the latest reflects the page as it stands.