Grant Application - PGP* (Pretty Good Policy) for Crypto Events

Community Grants Applications
1

Hi Zeeps,

I suspect most of you are aware of the work I’ve been doing in DC to host PGP* (Pretty Good Policy) for Crypto meetings. PGP* was launched in 2022 by Electric Coin Co. (ECC) to raise awareness of Zcash and other privacy-enhancing protocols within Washington, DC’s policy community. It is a monthly gathering designed to foster informed discussion and collaboration on critical cryptocurrency policy issues, bringing together industry leaders, government officials, and policy experts to delve into the complex landscape of digital asset regulation and innovation, with a special emphasis on privacy-preserving technologies as key tools in addressing financial policy challenges such as AML/KYC. Our goal is to cultivate “Pretty Good Policy” – practical, forward-thinking solutions that balance technological advancement with necessary safeguards.

We are seeking support for meetings through the end of 2025 ($20,000 total; $5,000 for each event to contribute to catering costs) in September , November , and December and for the second annual DC Privacy Summit on 16 October.

Please take a look at the full grant application on Github for more information. Thank you in advance for your consideration and feedback!

Sincerely,
Paul Brigner

14 Likes
2

Support this, love your work on PGP :student: :studio_microphone: :shield:

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3

Please post your full proposal in the forum. I followed your GitHub link but not everyone else will do so. Lets make it easier for them!

Additionally I would like to know why you are not getting continued funding from prior sponsors (Coinbase).

Having these catered meetings may help you grow your DC network that value and understand privacy but we need results that matter to the Zcash network.

Ive heard excuses from ECC/ZF historically that one problem with depreciating t addresses is that they will no longer be able to send ZEC to their preferred exchanges to dump for fiat (due to lack of CEX) shielded support). What about a goal of more shielded deposits/withdrawal support from more major exchanges for example?

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For convenience, here is the body of the grant application from Github:

Requested Grant Amount (USD)

$20,000

Category

Event Sponsorships

Project Lead

Name: Paul Brigner
Role: Event Organizer
Background: Paul has worked full time on cryptocurrency policy in Washington, DC since 2017. Since 2022, he has been employed at Electric Coin Co. (ECC) as a board member and Vice President of Strategic Alliances. His experience in Washington, DC spans over 20 years in internet and technology policy at organizations such as the Chamber of Digital Commerce, Internet Society, Motion Picture Association of America, and Verizon. Before working in policy, he spent a decade writing software, consulting, and designing internet systems.
In addition to my role at ECC, he teaches Fintech for MBAs at Georgetown University and has organized the PGP* (Pretty Good Policy) for Crypto gatherings in DC since 2022.

Responsibilities: Paul is the founder and lead organizer for PGP* (Pretty Good Policy) for Cyrpto meetings and the DC Privacy Summit. I oversee all aspects of these activities.

Additional Team Members

Name: Mike Orcutt
Role: Meeting Curator
Background: Mike is a Founding Editor of Project Glitch (described below). Mike has 15 years of experience as a reporter and editor at leading publications such as The Block and MIT Technology Review.
For the past two years, along with Lucy Harley-McKeown and Michael Reilly, Mike has been building Project Glitch, a new kind of journalism publication focused on the future of the internet. It may be hard to glean this from the typical media coverage of crypto, but novel technologies like blockchains and certain forms of advanced cryptography are raising urgent and profound questions about the future of human identity, expression, and freedom online. The goal of Project Glitch is to cultivate better conversations about these issues, for the sake of helping society figure out how to use these novel tools (call it “freedom tech” if you’d like) to push back against rising authoritarianism and digital surveillance.

Recently, Mike had the opportunity to give a short talk explaining the Project Glitch mission and approach. Please take a look. And if you like what you hear, please subscribe and follow along! LinkedIn

Responsibilities: Mike and the Project Glitch team curate deep-dive sessions at PGP* (Pretty Good Policy) for Crypto meetings and have primary responsibility for curating the DC Privacy Summit.

Name: Michael Reilly
Role: Meeting Curator

Background: Michael is a Founding Editor at Project Glitch and Contributing Editor at Every. Michael has 20 years of experience in journalism,

Responsibilities: Michael and the Project Glitch team curate deep-dive sessions at PGP* (Pretty Good Policy) for Crypto meetings and have primary responsibility for curating the DC Privacy Summit.

Name: Lucy Harley-McKeown
Role: Meeting Curator

Background: Since the end of 2021 Lucy has been focused on covering business, tech and crypto. In 2023, she helped found Project Glitch. Elsewhere, you may have seen her writing in Wired, The Wall Street Journal, Newsweek, The i Paper, Business Insider, The Independent, Yahoo Finance or The Block, among other publications.

Responsibilities: Lucy and the Project Glitch team curate deep-dive sessions at PGP* (Pretty Good Policy) for Crypto meetings and have primary responsibility for curating the DC Privacy Summit.

Project Summary

PGP* (Pretty Good Policy) for Crypto is a monthly gathering designed to foster informed discussion and collaboration on critical cryptocurrency policy issues, bringing together industry leaders, government officials, and policy experts to delve into the complex landscape of digital asset regulation and innovation, with a special emphasis on privacy-preserving technologies as key tools in addressing financial policy challenges such as AML/KYC. Our goal is to cultivate “Pretty Good Policy” – practical, forward-thinking solutions that balance technological advancement with necessary safeguards. We seek support for meetings in September, November, and December and for the second annual DC Privacy Summit on 16 October.

Project Description

  1. Origins and Mission
  • Launched in 2022 by Electric Coin Co. (ECC) to raise awareness of Zcash and other privacy-enhancing protocols within Washington, DC’s policy community.
  • Monthly “Pretty Good Pancakes” breakfasts pair networking with lightning talks and a curated deep-dive on a timely crypto-policy issue.
  1. Programming
  • Format: lightning talk briefings, interactive roundtables, and expert panels that translate technical advances into policy-ready solutions.
  • Core Theme: how privacy-preserving technologies can satisfy financial-integrity mandates (AML/KYC) without sacrificing individual autonomy.
  • Audience: Approximately 100 people register for each PGP* meeting with actual attendance of 80 people; meetings are live streamed on YouTube, LinkedIn, and X, reaching hundreds of online viewers. Edited video segments and summaries of each briefing are posted on LinkedIn and X following each meeting.
  • Registration: All events are listed on Luma at PGP* for Crypto Events · Events Calendar
  1. Sponsorship History
  • 2022–mid-2024: ECC funded all A/V and catering; venues donated by Georgetown University and USC’s Capital Campus.
  • Mid-2024 onward: Hard costs covered by Coinbase and the Blockchain Association; Coinbase support ended in June 2025, opening room for mission-aligned partners.
  1. Leadership
  • Paul Brigner, ECC Board Member and VP of Strategic Advocacy, serves as host and emcee. His “soft-advocacy” approach builds trust first, then steers participants toward privacy-centric solutions such as Zcash.
  1. Program Expansion
  • DC Privacy Summit: A full-day conference launched in 2024; replaces the October breakfast meeting and delivers focused training on privacy tech for policy makers.

Funding Request
Grant funds will offset catering and other expenses for:
• Monthly breakfasts: September, November, December 2025
• DC Privacy Summit: 16 October 2025
By underwriting these events, the grantor will help sustain a proven forum where forward-thinking, privacy-aware policy can flourish.

The Origin of “PGP”:* The name PGP* (Pretty Good Policy) for Crypto series, noting that the “PGP” reference is in homage to Pretty Good Privacy encryption and is carried over from Electric Coin Co.’s longstanding Pretty Good Pancakes breakfasts held in conjunction with industry events. As the first freely distributed, high quality public-key cryptography system, PGP (an acronym for Pretty Good Privacy) was a widely used tool among cypherpunks for privacy protection and has had a major influence on the development of cryptocurrencies. PGP is still used today, especially in the cyber threat intelligence community.

Paul Brigner spearheaded the PGP* meetings in DC beginning in early 2022 and has continued to serve as the host and lead organizer of the series. PGP* meetings are held at the University of Southern California Capital Campus in partnership with the USC Marshall VanEck Digital Assets Initiative (USC VanEck Initiative).

Beginning in 2025, a team of journalists from Project Glitch joined PGP* to provide a highly curated, deep-dive session at each meeting, which can be seen on YouTube at this playlist.

Proposed Problem

Before PGP* launched in 2022, policymakers in Washington, DC had limited exposure to Zcash and to the broader case for financial privacy in cryptocurrency. Educational outreach on privacy-preserving technologies was fragmented and sporadic, leaving a critical knowledge gap. Since its inception, PGP* has filled that gap by building a dedicated community of industry experts and government stakeholders, consistently elevating the policy conversation around privacy-first solutions. This momentum now provides a solid foundation for sustained, targeted advocacy.

Proposed Solution

PGP* will leverage its established community, monthly breakfast series, and the annual DC Privacy Summit to deliver a structured, privacy-focused policy education program for the remainder of 2025. With ZCG sponsorship, we intend to increase visibility of Zcash with a large “Privacy is Normal” (see [photo] (https://photos.app.goo.gl/6CeXHwSQG68Cjatt6) ), and attribution to ZCG at all meetings and on PGP social media.

Solution Format

Four events (described above); three PGP* meetings and the 2nd Annual DC Privacy Summit:

Dependencies

Our primary dependency is the continued availability of the USC Capital Campus conference center, provided through a partnership with the USC Marshall VanEck Digital Asset Initiative.

Technical Approach

N/A

Upstream Merge Opportunities

N/A

Hardware/Software Costs (USD)

0

Hardware/Software Justification

N/A

Service Costs (USD)

$20,000

Service Costs Justification

  • Catering for events

Compensation Costs (USD)

0

Compensation Costs Justification

Team member compensation will be covered by other sponsors.

Total Budget (USD)

$20,000

Previous Funding

No

Previous Funding Details

N/A

Other Funding Sources

Yes

Other Funding Sources Details

We are seeking new sponsorships to cover team‐member compensation. Previous meetings were underwritten by the Ethereum Foundation and Coinbase. Beyond ECC’s in-kind support for Paul’s time, no additional sponsors have been secured for the remainder of 2025. We will solicit funding only from organizations whose missions align with PGP*’s privacy-focused objectives.

Implementation Risks

Given our prior track record of successfully hosting PGP* meetings and the 2024 DC Privacy Summit, we do not anticipate any meaningful implementation risks.

Potential Side Effects

We do not anticipate any unintended consequences or negative impacts.

Success Metrics

We measure success by the number of meeting attendees (~80 for each PGP meeting and ~125 for the DC Privacy Summit), attendee feedback, and social media traction.

Startup Funding (USD)

0

Startup Funding Justification

N/A

Milestone Details

  • Milestone: 1 – September PGP* meeting
    Amount (USD): $5,000
    Expected Completion Date: 2025-09-17
    User Stories:

    • “As a crypto policy professional, I want to attend events where I can build my personal network and stay up to date on the latest crypto policy developments, so I can enhance my career.”
    • “As someone who is interested in crypto policy but doesn’t live in DC, I want to consume up to date content on crypto policy from experts on the ground in DC, so that I can better understand the crypto policy environment to inform my work on cryptocurrency”
      Deliverables:
    • Hold PGP* event (1 hour breakfast; 45 minutes of lightning talks; 45 minutes of an expert panel or other type of curated session)
      Acceptance Criteria: In-person or virtual (livestream) attendance at the meeting; Social media posts after the meeting

  • Milestone: 2 – 2nd Annual DC Privacy Summit
    Amount (USD): $5,000
    Expected Completion Date: 2025-10-16
    User Stories:

    • same as milestone 1
      Deliverables:
    • same as milestone 1
      Acceptance Criteria: same as milestone 1

  • Milestone: November PGP meeting
    Amount (USD): $5,000
    Expected Completion Date: 2025-11-19
    User Stories:

    • same as milestone 1
      Deliverables:
    • same as milestone 1
      Acceptance Criteria: same as milestone 1

  • Milestone: December PGP meeting
    Amount (USD): $5,000
    Expected Completion Date: 2025-12-17
    User Stories:

    • same as milestone 1
      Deliverables:
    • same as milestone 1
      Acceptance Criteria: same as milestone 1
6 Likes
5

Coinbase contributed $50,000 to sponsor the first six meetings of 2025 (January – June). They chose not to extend their support for the rest of the year, and no rationale was provided. Feedback from Coinbase and other stakeholders has nevertheless been uniformly positive.

I have posted the full grant application here for convenience.

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Thank you for that.

I am still not seeing enough Zcash specific goals for me to believe this is an efficient use of funding.

1 Like
7

I appreciate and respect your concern that the proposal may not spell out enough Zcash‑specific objectives. Not everyone in our community views DC advocacy as a top priority—but I believe policy engagement is essential if we want regulators and lawmakers to understand (and ultimately protect) the privacy guarantees that set Zcash apart. If PGP* had not pursued this work since 2022, we would not have champions such as Majority Whip Rep. Tom Emmer—whose public support is invaluable.

The PGP* Initiative follows a two‑prong strategy that keeps Zcash front‑and‑center while serving the broader ecosystem:

  1. Flagship organizer — By securing the organizer role early—well before larger, better‑funded projects sought it—PGP* now hosts the most consistently attended and highly regarded crypto‑policy series in DC. Our established foothold highlights PGP* as a Zcash-driven contribution to the community, outperforming initiatives whose budgets dwarf ours and raising our profile without overt self‑promotion.
  2. Privacy‑first content — As convener, we curate the agenda so that privacy‑preserving technologies—Zcash in particular—remain a core thread running through all policy updates, AML/KYC discussions, and deep dives.

Why this is an efficient use of funds

  • Leverage & Credibility: A modest grant funds meetings that draw senior staff from the White House, Treasury, SEC, CFTC, Congressional offices, major exchanges, and many other important crypto policy stakeholders and influencers—audiences that individual outreach struggles to reach at scale.
  • Network Effects: Each event expands a network of privacy‑aware policymakers and industry allies whom we can engage quickly when new legislation or rulemakings arise.
  • Cost‑sharing: Venue partnerships (USC Capital Campus), in‑kind support from ECC, and targeted sponsorships keep hard costs low; grant dollars go directly to convening high‑impact conversations rather than overhead.

In short, PGP* turns a modest grant into outsized policy influence, positioning Zcash as the reference model for a principled, policy‑engaged privacy‑preserving cryptocurrency project—fully in line with our core values and with Zcash’s mission to realize the promise of private, digital cash for everyone.

8 Likes
8

Agree :100:.

The fact that a prominent member of ECC/ Zcash community is leading and hosting privacy centric policy discussions in Washington DC is a shine on the Zcash logo and adds weight to the Zcash movement: Privacy is normal.

By being the first to host such a conference Paul has also established himself as a point of contact for those in DC that may have questions or misconceptions on how Zcash or other privacy preserving cryptocurrencies work. By being there and being available he can loudly advocate for Privacy while also quietly representing Zcash..

I support funding this grant.

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11 Likes
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Aside from in person vs virtual meetings this proposal looks somewhat similar to the recently rejected privacy executive roundtable:

The main differences I see are partial outside funding for this proposal (in the form of free meeting space) and more of a Zcash focus in the other proposal (in the form of ZSA introduction).