Bitcoin AMA: Zooko Wilcox, CEO of Zcash, The ‘Privacy-Preserving’ Variant of Bitcoin

Zcash, which is an implementation of the zerocash concept, is often referred to as the first form of truly anonymous digital cash. While Bitcoin been called a haven for criminals by many misinformed individuals, the reality is Satoshi Nakamoto’s creation is a mostly-transparent ledger. Although Zcash enables the highest level of privacy currently allowed by cryptography, there are still some potential issues (mostly unrelated to privacy) for the financial-anonymity protocol to overcome. Zcash CEO Zooko Wilcox-O’Hearn recently discussed some of these issues on Epicenter Bitcoin. Privacy....

There has been growing controversy over new cryptocurrency Zcash, since a tweet by Edward Snowden suggested that it will encourage tax protests. Snowden’s tweet was attached to a post by The New York Times, where Zcash was described as a “harder-to-trace virtual currency.” Snowden wrote in regard to the article: “Coincidentally, new technologies raise the possibility of unstoppable tax protests.” Selective disclosure. Created by computer scientists at Johns Hopkins University and Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Zcash has been claimed to have secured $3 mln in backing from Silicon....

ZCash, a new Zooko Wilcox project, has impressive list of investors and advisers, but will the new cryptocurrency pass the reality check of decentralisation and anonymity? Genesis block’s launch is near. October 28 may see the launch of the genesis block of ZCash - a new cryptocurrency from the same name project led by Zooko Wilcox. The project causes great interest: without being a genuine market player yet, the company has become a part of Digital Currency Group; the buzz around ZCash is really huge, and the currency itself was valued even before the actual release. On the surface it....

The October 28 launch of Zcash has increased the community interest in the privacy-focused cryptocurrency. As Bitcoin Core prepares its own privacy feature Mimblewimble, Zcash hopes to become the first cryptocurrency that is “all about privacy.” Founded by cryptography expert Zooko Wilcox and advised by prominent figures including Vitalik Buterin, Zcash is a cryptocurrency based on an innovative cryptography called zkSNARKs. Initially, the concept of Zcash was introduced by Wilcox to provide a sense of anonymity between senders, receivers, and the value of transactions. Moreso, the....

Although one may assume that the demand for privacy in Bitcoin and other blockchain-based systems is coming from crypto-anarchists and libertarians, the reality is that a huge push for concealing transactions on the blockchain is coming from the traditional financial industry. During a recent cryptocurrency event at the Cato Institute, Zcash CEO and longtime cypherpunk Zooko Wilcox-O’Hearn made the point that banks, clearinghouses, payment processors and everyone else he’s talked to in the financial industry are the ones who are asking for more privacy on the blockchain. During a panel....