Zcash Mass Resignation Highlights Bitcoin’s Importance, Says Samson Mow — Here’s Why

ccn.comPublished on 2026-01-09Last updated on 2026-01-09

Abstract

Samson Mow, a prominent Bitcoin advocate and critic of Zcash, commented on the mass resignation of Zcash's core development team, calling it a cautionary tale for investors. The entire team from the Electric Coin Company (ECC) resigned on January 7 due to what CEO Josh Swihart described as "constructive discharge" and "malicious governance" by the board, making it impossible for them to continue their work. Despite the upheaval, Swihart stated the developers plan to continue advancing Zcash's technology under a new organization, and the network remains operational. Mow criticized the event, highlighting Bitcoin's reliability as "insurance against shitcoin dev teams quitting all at once." He has previously advised investors seeking privacy to use Bitcoin with Lightning Network instead of Zcash. The former ECC team is already working on a new Zcash wallet using the existing Zashi codebase, reaffirming their commitment to Zcash development without launching a new coin. Mow remains bullish on Bitcoin, predicting it could reach $1 million by 2031 or sooner.

Bitcoin advocate and outspoken critic of Zcash, Samson Mow, has weighed in on the sudden mass resignation of the project’s core development team, calling the departure a cautionary tale for investors.

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Zcash Resignation

Zcash, a privacy-focused crypto project, has faced turbulence after its primary development organization, Electric Coin Company, announced that the entire team had stepped down on Jan. 7.

Josh Swihart, ECC’s CEO, said the team’s departure followed “constructive discharge,” a legal situation in which changes to employment conditions leave employees little choice but to resign.

Swihart described the board’s recent actions as “malicious governance,” which he said made it impossible for the developers to continue building Zcash’s privacy technology independently.

The full team left simultaneously, severing their formal ties with ECC.

Despite the upheaval, Swihart said the developers plan to continue advancing Zcash’s technology under a new organizational structure, while the Zcash network itself remains operational and decentralized.

Mow Slams Project

On Friday, Mow took to X to claim that Bitcoin acts as “insurance against shitcoin dev teams quitting all at once.”

The harsh words are not new from Mow, who previously claimed that projects like Zcash are not necessary.

In a November X post , he instead advised retail investors interested in encrypted Bitcoin to instead to buy it on an exchange and transfer it over to wallets instead.

“Dear retail: If you want to invest in ‘encrypted Bitcoin,’ buy Bitcoin on your favorite exchange, then go to withdrawals, select ‘Lightning Network’ as the method, and receive it in a wallet,” he wrote.

Mow noted wallets such as Aqua, Bull Bitcoin and Wallet of Satoshi.

Zcash Developers Start New Project After Resignation

Following the departure, the exited developers from ECC have announced they’re already working on a new wallet for Zcash.

“The team from the Electric Coin Company that launched Zcash, and created the Zashi wallet, is now launching a new wallet for Zcash, using the same Zashi codebase we built,” said Swihart late on Thursday.

https://twitter.com/jswihart/status/2009323099154747639

Following responses to their departure, Swihart said “the entire team that worked at Electric Coin Company and built Zashi is still 100% focused on full-stack Zcash development.”

“We aren’t launching any new coins, we’re just scaling Zcash. To do that, it required that we leave and start a new Zcash-focused company.”

Bullish on Bitcoin

Mow has been a long-time Bitcoin bull, joining a chorus of industry figureheads believing that its price could reach $1 million.

“Since getting into Bitcoin, what I’ve consistently found is that everything always happens faster than I expect,” Mow wrote in a March post on X.

“That’s why my prediction is for a fast run to $1 million,” he added.

Mow said this price could be reached by 2031, according to his models, but he also suggested the milestone could arrive sooner.

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Related Questions

QWhat did Samson Mow say about the mass resignation of Zcash's core development team?

ASamson Mow called the mass resignation a cautionary tale for investors and stated that Bitcoin acts as 'insurance against shitcoin dev teams quitting all at once'.

QWhat was the reason given by Josh Swihart for the entire Zcash development team's resignation?

AJosh Swihart stated the team's departure followed 'constructive discharge,' a legal situation where changes to employment conditions made it impossible for developers to continue, which he described as 'malicious governance' by the board.

QWhat are the plans of the former Zcash developers after their resignation?

AThe former developers plan to continue advancing Zcash's technology under a new organizational structure and are already working on a new wallet for Zcash using the same Zashi codebase they built.

QWhat alternative did Samson Mow suggest for investors interested in 'encrypted Bitcoin' instead of Zcash?

ASamson Mow suggested that investors buy Bitcoin on an exchange and transfer it using the Lightning Network to wallets like Aqua, Bull Bitcoin, or Wallet of Satoshi.

QWhat is Samson Mow's price prediction for Bitcoin and by when does he expect it to be reached?

ASamson Mow predicted that its price could reach $1 million by 2031 according to his models, but he also suggested it could happen sooner.

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