How does Zcash privacy work?

Zcash uses zk-SNARKs (zero-knowledge succinct non-interactive arguments of knowledge) to prove a transaction is valid without revealing any information about the sender, receiver, or amount.

Can I swap ZEC without KYC?

Yes. SyntheticSwap supports ZEC swaps with no account, no registration, and no identity documents required.

What is the difference between transparent and shielded ZEC?

Transparent addresses (t-addresses) work like Bitcoin — all transaction data is public. Shielded addresses (z-addresses) encrypt transaction details on-chain using zk-SNARKs.

Shielded ZEC transactions offer strong financial privacy. However, many users and exchanges use transparent addresses, which are publicly visible. Full privacy requires using shielded addresses.

What is the ZEC supply cap?

Zcash has the same 21 million coin supply cap as Bitcoin, with block rewards halving approximately every 4 years.

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Zcash

Privacy-Focused Cryptocurrency with Zero-Knowledge Proofs

Launch Year

2016

Consensus

Proof of Work (Equihash)

Max Supply

21,000,000 ZEC

Block Time

~75 seconds

ZEC

Zcash

Price—

24h Change—

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About Zcash

Zcash (ZEC) is a privacy-focused cryptocurrency that uses zero-knowledge proofs (specifically zk-SNARKs) to enable fully shielded transactions where the sender, receiver, and amount are all encrypted on the blockchain. Launched in 2016 by the Electric Coin Company (ECC), Zcash offers users the choice between transparent transactions (similar to Bitcoin) and shielded transactions that provide complete financial privacy. Zcash has the same supply cap as Bitcoin (21 million ZEC) and uses the Equihash proof-of-work algorithm designed to be ASIC-resistant. The privacy technology pioneered by Zcash has influenced many other projects and is now a cornerstone of the broader crypto privacy ecosystem.

History

2014

Zooko Wilcox and a team of cryptographers begin work on Zerocash protocol, which becomes Zcash.

2016

Zcash mainnet launches on October 28 as the first practical implementation of zk-SNARKs for cryptocurrency privacy.

2018

Zcash Sapling network upgrade dramatically reduces the time and computational requirements for shielded transactions.

2020

Zcash Heartwood and Canopy upgrades improve mining and fund the Electric Coin Company and Zcash Foundation.

2022

Zcash completes the Zcash halving, reducing block rewards. Plans announced for transition toward Proof of Stake.

2023

Zcash introduces Zcash Shielded Assets (ZSAs) enabling shielded DeFi tokens on the Zcash network.

How to Swap ZEC

Exchanging Zcash (ZEC) on SyntheticSwap requires no account creation or identity documents. Open SyntheticSwap, choose ZEC as your source or target coin, provide your destination wallet address, and review the floating rate displayed. After sending ZEC from your personal wallet to the deposit address, the swap processes automatically and your chosen asset is delivered directly to your wallet. SyntheticSwap never holds your funds at any point during the process.

How to Store ZEC

Zcash is stored in wallets that support the ZEC network. The official Zcash wallets are Zashi (mobile, focuses on shielded transactions) and Ywallet (advanced features). For desktop users, ZecWallet Lite provides a full-featured interface. Ledger hardware wallets support ZEC through transparent addresses. To benefit from full privacy, use shielded (z-address) transactions whenever possible.

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