Ex-Zcash Developers Launch CashZ Wallet After Leaving ECC

Key Highlights

Ex-Zcash developers resigned from Electric Coin Company and formed CashZ to launch a new Zcash wallet.
The CashZ wallet continues the Zashi codebase with no new token or changes to the Zcash protocol.
ZEC price briefly fell on confusion, but developers confirmed Zcash development remains active.

Former members of the Zcash development team are preparing to relaunch their work under a new company, marking a significant organizational shift for the long-running privacy-focused cryptocurrency project.

The group, which previously worked at Electric Coin Company (ECC), plans to release a new Zcash wallet called CashZ, built on the existing Zashi wallet codebase.

Ex-Zcash developers move forward with CashZ

On January 8, former ECC chief executive officer Josh Swihart announced the formation of CashZ, a new for-profit startup created by the same engineers who developed Zashi, Zcash’s flagship wallet, and contributed to recent protocol upgrades.

The announcement is based on the previous day’s happenings, when Zcash developers publicly announced their resignation from ECC and their intentions to proceed with the development of privacy-oriented tools on their own. The team resigned collectively from ECC after internal disagreements with Bootstrap, the nonprofit that oversees ECC’s operations.

Swihart described the exit as a “constructive discharge,” saying governance changes introduced by Bootstrap’s board made it difficult for the developers to continue their work effectively.

Despite leaving ECC, the team stressed that it has not abandoned Zcash. The protocol remains open source, and the developers say they will continue working on Zcash tools rather than launching a new blockchain or token.

CashZ will function as a direct continuation of the Zashi wallet. According to the company, existing users will be able to migrate to the new wallet with minimal disruption once it launches. A public waitlist is already live, signaling that development is moving ahead quickly.

Why the split matters for Zcash

The departure has reignited broader debates around how crypto projects should be structured. Swihart claimed that nonprofit models may decelerate the decision-making process and its implementation, particularly when the regulatory oversight is intensified.

Over the past few weeks, it's become clear that the majority of Bootstrap board members (a 501(c)(3) nonprofit created to support Zcash by governing the Electric Coin Company), specifically Zaki Manian, Christina Garman, Alan Fairless, and Michelle Lai (ZCAM), have moved into…
— Josh Swihart 🛡 (@jswihart) January 7, 2026

He said startup structures often provide clearer incentives and more flexibility, which can be critical in fast-moving crypto markets.

However, the team presented the move as a structural change and not a philosophical one. The mission of Zcash, i.e. the private digital payment, is the same, and ECC still exists as an independent entity.

The resignations did not affect the Zcash network itself and it has been running as usual. Other crypto projects have experienced similar tensions with foundations and boards disagreeing on control, funding, and long-term direction with core developers.

Over recent months, Zcash has been technologically advanced, yet the CashZ launch shows that governance issues can continue to affect perception and momentum.

Market reaction and recent context

The news initially caused confusion among investors. ZEC prices dropped briefly after rumors circulated on social media suggesting the project had been abandoned. Some of the fears were alleviated later as developers explained that Zcash development would proceed.

There’s been noise around Zcash governance lately, so let’s be clear about what actually matters.
The Zcash protocol didn’t break.
Privacy didn’t weaken.
ZEC didn’t suddenly forget how to be money.
What happened is simpler: the builders chose principles over politics.
The… https://t.co/JAvsv2iraA
— Michelangelo.zec ⓩ🛡️ (@BTCTurtle) January 7, 2026

At the time of writing, Zcash was trading at $433.12, down 6.73% over the past 24 hours, with a trading volume of $1.41 billion and a market capitalization of approximately $7.13 billion, according to CoinMarketCap.

There have been mixed reactions to these updates from the larger community, but they are mostly centered on governance, sustainability, and future of privacy in crypto.

This scenario highlights a common problem in the industry as protocols can be decentralized, but the organizations managing them still have extremely human challenges related to leadership, structure, and control.