# zcash

Zcash (ZEC) is a decentralized privacy coin focused on delivering advanced privacy and anonymity features to the users who prefer to have them with their transactions. Zcash has its origins in the same code as Bitcoin, although the two do not share a common history. The project itself was launched in 2016 by a team of engineers and scientists coming from the institutions such as the MIT, Johns Hopkins and Tel Aviv University. The developers were going for more privacy and anonymity with the help of advanced cryptographic technologies. While transactions remain recorded on the blockchain, Zcash allows the user to activate the privacy protection to hide the information on senders, receivers and transaction amounts. To achieve this, Zcash implements the system of shielded transactions which make it possible protect the privacy of all transaction and personal data posted to the public blockchain. This is enabled by encrypting the transactions encrypted with the help of zk-SNARKs cryptographic protocol. At the same time, Zcash allow sits users to choose which transaction data can be shared in case this is required when checking their compliance or during an audit. Based on this, Zcash is regularly featured on the lists of the most prominent privacy coins in use today.