What is Zcash?
Zcash is a privacy-protecting, digital currency built on strong science.
How does it work?
Zcash is a digital currency, or cryptocurrency, like Bitcoin. (In fact, Zcash was built on the original Bitcoin code base.) It was conceived by scientists at MIT, Johns Hopkins and other respected academic and scientific institutions. Zcash goes above and beyond other cryptocurrencies. With Zcash, you control what information you share. Shielded addresses and their associated balances are not visible on the blockchain. Payment disclosure and special "viewing keys" can be used to share transaction details with trusted third parties for compliance or audits.
What Zcash aims to solve?
The Zcash Company mission is to empower everyone with economic freedom and opportunity. We believe that everyone has a right to privacy, that the pursuit of economic freedom is virtuous, and that the future of money is an attack- and censorship-resistant digital currency.
What is Shielded Addresses?
A Z-to-Z transaction appears on the public blockchain, so it is known to have occured and that the fees were paid. But the addresses, transaction amount and the memo field are all encrypted and not publicly visible. Using encryption on a blockchain is only possible through the use of zero-knowledge proofs.
What are the features of Zcash?
Efficient and usable. You can use Zcash as a fast and reliable, inexpensive means to send money or to digitally purchase goods and services. It is supported by top exchanges and wallets. Zcash is audit and regulation-friendly. Private addresses and transactions can be disclosed by Zcash users for information sharing, third-party audits or to comply with regulatory requirements. It's decentralized and attack-resistant. It is maintained by a wide network of people and machines, instead of a centralized entity, like a bank or government. There is no central database to be hacked and no single point of failure. There is no authority that can shut it down or prevent its use. Private addresses & transactions: privacy is built into the core of Zcash, allowing people to send and receive Zcash without disclosing the sender, receiver or the amount transacted. Privacy allows good people to transact safely over digital mediums. Transparent addresses and transactions are also available.
