Crypto Long & Short: Zcash and the case for privacy in the age of AI
60-second summary
AI now cheaply links wallet addresses to real identities, and blockchain permanence preserves those records, prompting privacy concerns. Michael Zhao of Grayscale Research highlights Zcash’s shielded transactions as a solution, noting that roughly 29% of all mined ZEC resides in the shielded pool, demonstrating strong user demand for anonymity and signaling increased market interest in privacy‑focused cryptocurrencies.
AI has made it cheap to link wallet addresses to the people behind them, and the permanence of the blockchain means records don’t age out. Michael Zhao of Grayscale Research explains how Zcash’s shielded transactions address this problem, and why close to 29% of all ZEC ever mined now sits in the shielded pool.