Winklevoss twins donate $1.2M in Zcash to boost network privacy

The Winklevoss twins, Tyler and Cameron Winklevoss, co-founders of Gemini exchange, have donated 3,221 Zcash (ZEC) tokens to Shielded Labs to support the network’s initiatives. The contribution is valued at approximately $1.2 million at current market prices.

According to Shielded Labs, the contribution will directly support Shielded Labs’ core initiatives, including the Network Sustainability Mechanism (NSM), Crosslink, and Dynamic Fees. By extension, the initiatives focus on strengthening the long-term security, sustainability, and scalability of the Zcash network.

“This donation is Tyler and Cameron’s second contribution to Shielded Labs. Their first donation, made in 2023, supported the formation of a dedicated team focused on Crosslink,” Shielded Labs wrote.

Winklevoss twins emphasize that privacy is the next frontier in crypto

Shielded Labs operates independently of Zcash’s block rewards and development fund. The organization is funded through donations and focuses primarily on protocol-level research and engineering rather than product development.

Tyler and Cameron are long-time supporters of Zcash and its mission to build an unstoppable form of private money. Gemini was the first major exchange to support shielded Zcash withdrawals, and it now supports Orchard, Zcash’s most advanced privacy protocol. 

In the statement, Tyler Winklevoss stated, “A healthy Zcash ecosystem depends on multiple independent organizations contributing at the protocol level. Shielded Labs plays an important role in that effort, and we’re glad to support their work.”

Privacy is the next frontier in crypto. It's the point at which government and corporate overreach end and your freedom and self-sovereignty begin. @ShieldedLabs is committed to building Zcash — unstoppable private money. That's why @tyler and I are supporting their mission. https://t.co/Y63ynX0TGY

— Cameron Winklevoss (@cameron) January 20, 2026

Cameron echoed his brother’s view, saying, “We’ve supported Zcash for many years because we believe strong privacy is an essential property of sound money. Shielded Labs is doing important work at the protocol level, and we’re happy to support their efforts.”

Zcash declines 12% amidst extremely volatile market conditions

Zcash has been registering among the most robust performances in the crypto market since September 2025. It has increased nearly 800% in the last 12 months. However, the token has been showing a bearish outlook since the start of this year. ZEC has been trading within a narrowing triangle pattern on the daily chart. 

This has been driven by heightened tension and restructuring within the Zcash ecosystem. Earlier this month, several developers left the Electric Coin Company after a dispute with its board and formed a new company. This had a huge negative impact on the token.

However, good news about the Zcash Foundation being cleared after a years-long investigation by the US Securities and Exchange Commission, without any enforcement action, has brought some excitement. The move has also brought regulatory clarity to the industry’s most closely watched privacy projects.

The broader market conditions are also extremely volatile. The crypto market has declined 2.3% returning to the 2 trillion threshold by market cap. On the other hand, traditional markets are also experiencing losses of over trillions. 

Metals like gold and silver are coiling up, hinting at a rotation of liquidity from risk assets to traditional assets. In such market conditions, analysts suggest that, because the Zcash price has maintained a steep downward trend, it may continue to do so until sentiment flips completely away from bearish influence.

At the time of writing, ZEC has gained traction with a 3% surge in the last 24 hours. However, it has continued to decline by 12% in the last week. Analysts warn that if prices retreat below $360, the next stop could be $300, a 14% drop from current levels.

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