Zcash

Zcash (ZEC) is a privacy-focused cryptocurrency with its own blockchain. It relies on zero-knowledge proofs, which let the network confirm that a transaction is valid without exposing the sender, the receiver or the amount. The project dates to 2013, when a group of scientists moved from a Zerocoin proposal for Bitcoin to a standalone protocol.

The supply is fixed at 21 million ZEC, and issuance follows a halving schedule like Bitcoin's. The network currently uses Proof-of-Work and produces a block about every 75 seconds. A planned upgrade named Crosslink would shift it toward Proof-of-Stake.

Users can pick transparent or shielded transactions, and Unified Addresses work with both kinds. Its Orchard shielded pool uses the Halo proof system. Development funding comes from a share of each mined block, which goes to the Zcash Community Grants Committee and to a Coinholder-Controlled Fund.