Zcash’s Original Builders Leave ECC to Launch ZODL Independent Development Entity

TheNewsCryptoPublicado a 2026-02-17Actualizado a 2026-02-17

Resumen

The original builders of Zcash have officially separated from the Electric Coin Company (ECC) and formed a new independent development organization called ZODL. This split, the most significant change in Zcash's history, follows a governance dispute between ECC and its nonprofit owner, Bootstrap, regarding control, strategic direction, and development autonomy. The entire ECC staff resigned and regrouped under ZODL. The Zcash blockchain has not forked, and ZEC remains unchanged with normal network operation. However, the core development team behind Zcash's privacy technology and the Zashi wallet (now under ZODL) has moved. ECC continues to exist but without its original team. This shift may influence future upgrades, wallet innovation, privacy features, and governance, but the blockchain itself remains unaffected. The long-term impact will depend on coordination between ECC and ZODL.

The original builders of Zcash have officially separated from the Electric Coin Company (ECC) and created a new development organization called ZODL. This move marks the most significant change in the privacy-focused cryptocurrency’s history. The team has announced that the flagship wallet known as Zashi will now work under the new name called ZODL.

Reason behind this Split

This separation began in January after the governance dispute between ECC and the bootstrap, which is a nonprofit organization that owns ECC. The disagreement is on the control and decision-making authority, the strategic direction of Zcash, and long-term development autonomy. So the entire ECC staff resigned, and instead of leaving the Zcash ecosystem, the team has regrouped under the new name ZODL.

Right now, the Zcash blockchain has not forked, and ZEC remains the same asset with all blocks proceeding normally, and the network will function without any interruption. However, the same development team that built Zcash’s core privacy technology and created the Zashi wallet has shifted from ECC to ZODL. ECC still exists under the Bootstrap ownership, but without the old development team.

Observers have compared this situation with the split between OpenAI and Anthropic in the AI industry. In that case, the engineers have left the company and started forming a new company, which is similar to the Zcash case, in which developers have left the company and formed the same team under a different name to continue work on the blockchain independently.

The future upgrades, wallet innovation, privacy feature expansion, and governance decisions can be influenced by this shift, but blockchain itself remains unchanged. Based on the coordination between ECC and ZODL, the longer-term impact will be known.

Highlighted Crypto News:

Hyperliquid (HYPE) Drops 25% in February, Key Support Tested

Preguntas relacionadas

QWhat is the name of the new development entity formed by the original Zcash builders?

AThe new development entity is called ZODL.

QWhy did the original Zcash development team separate from the Electric Coin Company (ECC)?

AThe separation was due to a governance dispute over control and decision-making authority, the strategic direction of Zcash, and long-term development autonomy.

QWhat is the new name for the flagship wallet previously known as Zashi?

AThe flagship wallet is now called ZODL.

QHas the Zcash blockchain forked or changed as a result of this organizational split?

ANo, the Zcash blockchain has not forked, ZEC remains the same asset, and the network continues to function normally without interruption.

QWhat industry comparison was made to describe the Zcash team's departure from ECC?

AObservers compared it to the split between OpenAI and Anthropic in the AI industry, where engineers left to form a new company.

Lecturas Relacionadas

New Wall Street Play: Yen Shorts Still Adding, But Japan Stocks Don't Rely on Carry Trade Unwinding

On June 3rd, USD/JPY hit 160.44, its highest level since July 2024, while the Nikkei 225 surged past 68,000 points. Contrary to popular narratives of an imminent "carry trade unwind" akin to August 2024, data reveals a more complex picture. Speculative net short positions in yen futures have actually increased, reaching -114,667 contracts by late May, suggesting traders are doubling down rather than retreating. Meanwhile, Japan's Finance Ministry conducted its largest-ever single-round FX intervention (11.73 trillion yen) in April-May but failed to hold the 160 yen line. The Nikkei's rally is not driven by carry trade dynamics. Foreign investors are aggressively buying Japanese stocks, with net purchases in 2026 running nearly 16 times higher than 2025 levels. This inflow is concentrated in AI and semiconductor-related stocks like SoftBank and Socionext, fueled by positive sector outlooks, rather than being a flight from unwinding yen shorts. Furthermore, the Nikkei has continued climbing despite the Bank of Japan's (BOJ) rate hikes to 0.75%. This disconnect exists because the current equity boom is fueled by AI-driven foreign investment, not reliant on cheap yen funding. However, this relationship remains fragile. Should the BOJ hike rates further (e.g., to 1.0%) while dollar weakness increases carry trade costs, the trajectories of the yen and Japanese stocks could reconverge, potentially triggering volatility.

marsbitHace 1 min(s)

New Wall Street Play: Yen Shorts Still Adding, But Japan Stocks Don't Rely on Carry Trade Unwinding

marsbitHace 1 min(s)

Broadcom's Q3 Guidance Misses Expectations by $12 Billion, After-Hours Trading Plummets Over 13%, AI Narrative "Cooling"?

On June 3, Broadcom released record Q2 FY26 results with revenue of $22.19B, up 48% YoY, and AI chip sales of $10.8B, up 143%. Adjusted EPS of $2.44 beat estimates. However, its Q3 AI semiconductor revenue guidance of $16B, while up over 200% YoY, fell roughly $1.2B (7%) short of analyst consensus expectations of $17.2B. This miss, coupled with slightly weaker-than-expected software revenue, triggered a severe market reaction. CEO Hock Tan maintained the FY26 AI revenue outlook of over $100B but did not raise it, disappointing investors who had priced in more robust growth. The stock plummeted over 13% in after-hours trading, erasing roughly $270B in market cap. The sell-off extended to peers like Marvell. A key concern for markets, particularly for Chinese optical module suppliers, was Tan's comment that the contribution of AI networking (e.g., Ethernet switches, optical interconnect chips) to AI revenue, currently near 40%, is expected to normalize to around 30% over time, signaling a potential peak in growth for that segment. Despite the guidance shortfall, Tan reiterated that AI demand remains "insatiable" and reaffirmed the long-term target of exceeding $100B in AI revenue by FY27. The reaction highlights the heightened sensitivity and premium valuation placed on AI-exposed stocks, where anything less than stellar guidance can prompt significant profit-taking. The broader question is whether this represents a cooling AI narrative or a correction in overstretched valuations.

marsbitHace 1 min(s)

Broadcom's Q3 Guidance Misses Expectations by $12 Billion, After-Hours Trading Plummets Over 13%, AI Narrative "Cooling"?

marsbitHace 1 min(s)

Dogecoin Price Just Entered A Critical Level, But Analyst Says It’s Not Time To Buy

Dogecoin has returned to a major long-term level on its monthly chart, entering what analyst Trader Tardigrade identifies as a critical resistance zone. Historically, this zone within a massive descending broadening channel has seen only two visits in the past decade—in 2017 and 2020—each followed by a strong rejection and deep correction. The coin has already dropped 8% after testing this area. Crucially, the analyst's chart is inverted; the "resistance" line is actually a bullish support line on a normal price chart. Past rejections from this line preceded major rallies. Therefore, the current price action near $0.0937 is viewed as a return to support, with potential for an upward bounce. A move above $0.10 could signal improving sentiment, while a break above $0.25 would confirm a bounce from support. The inverted chart structure even suggests room for significant upside toward double-digit targets.

bitcoinistHace 15 min(s)

Dogecoin Price Just Entered A Critical Level, But Analyst Says It’s Not Time To Buy

bitcoinistHace 15 min(s)

Ripple’s RLUSD Lands In Mastercard’s Stablecoin Settlement Expansion

Mastercard is expanding its stablecoin settlement capabilities, adding Ripple's RLUSD alongside other regulated stablecoins like USDC and PYUSD. This move allows issuers and acquirers to settle card transactions using digital assets on various blockchains, including Ethereum, Solana, and the XRP Ledger. The enhancement introduces intraday, weekend, and holiday settlement options, aiming to provide more flexibility, especially for cross-border payments and treasury operations. Mastercard positions this as a network-level addition that complements existing processes, with initial support focused on the US and Latin America. Ripple views RLUSD's inclusion as validation for regulated stablecoins in institutional payment infrastructure, highlighting the growing demand for faster, always-on settlement.

bitcoinistHace 1 hora(s)

Ripple’s RLUSD Lands In Mastercard’s Stablecoin Settlement Expansion

bitcoinistHace 1 hora(s)

Fei-Fei Li's Team Clarifies the Concept of 'World Models', Sora Merely a Renderer

"World Models" has become a widely used yet confusing term in AI. To address this, a team led by Fei-Fei Li and World Labs proposed a functional taxonomy based on the Partially Observable Markov Decision Process framework. This taxonomy categorizes systems called "world models" into three distinct projections: Renderers, Simulators, and Planners. Renderers, like OpenAI's Sora and other video generation models, focus on producing photorealistic visual outputs for human perception. They prioritize visual fidelity over physical accuracy. Simulators, such as NVIDIA Omniverse, aim to compute precise future environmental states for computational tasks like engineering analysis or digital twins. Planners, like Vision-Language-Action models, take in observations and goals to output executable actions for robots or agents. The article clarifies that most current "world models," including Sora, are primarily Renderers. They generate convincing visuals but lack the core ability to simulate state transitions based on actions, a key requirement for a true world model in classic reinforcement learning definitions. This conceptual confusion has practical implications, leading to potential misalignment in technology selection, investment, and public understanding of AI capabilities. Clear categorization is crucial. It helps enterprises avoid costly mistakes (e.g., using a renderer for robot training), allows investors to accurately assess markets, and enables researchers to build comparable benchmarks. While future systems may integrate these functions, recognizing current boundaries is essential for honest assessment and progress.

marsbitHace 1 hora(s)

Fei-Fei Li's Team Clarifies the Concept of 'World Models', Sora Merely a Renderer

marsbitHace 1 hora(s)

Trading

Spot

Futuros