If I had to explain Zcash to my mum, I’d say something like this….
When you use Venmo, PayPal, or your credit card, everyone sees your business. The company knows what you bought, where, and when. They track it, analyze it, and sometimes sell that information.
Physical cash doesn’t work that way. Hand someone cash, and that’s it—private, direct, done.
Digital cash means bringing that privacy to the internet. Zcash is designed to let you send money online with the same privacy as handing someone a $20 bill.
This way of explaining Zcash might be easy to understand, but once you get into the technicalities, it becomes difficult fast. Actually using Zcash requires technical knowledge most people don’t have. How to solve for this if there are desires for mainstream adoption?
I’ve realized the necessity to consistently decrease the barrier of entry for non-technical people who need to understand that privacy is normal and that they can adopt and contribute despite being non-technical. I’ve come to this realization myself after trying to run an operator node in the last 24 hours and running into numerous errors despite being technical.
I’m still in the process of setting up a node though and pulling together all the resources I can to get it up and running. But in the meantime: what’s the best way to get your non-technical friend to operate a node, and how would you explain privacy-focused finance to your grandma?
I think the best way is to explain Zcash in relation to Bitcoin, because it’s literally a fork of Bitcoin and most people know about Bitcoin. It is also possible to explain to non-technical people some of Bitcoin’s issues that Zcash solves:
Bitcoins fees are high because it doesn’t scale well.
If we used Bitcoin instead of our current payment infra, the coffee shop could see how much money you make and where the coffee shop next door shops for supplies.
Bitcoin is a software project that doesn’t change with the times, but software needs to innovate to stay relevant. An example would be quantum resistance.
Most people have heard of Bitcoin, yes. But ask your average person what Bitcoin actually is and you’ll get things like “fake internet money” or “isn’t that for criminals?” Starting with Bitcoin might activate their existing (often wrong) mental models before you can explain what makes Zcash different.
I sense there are two audiences for explaining Zcash: crypto experts and the general public. Crypto people need the Bitcoin comparison right away. Normal people need the “this is digital cash/Internet money” story first, and then you can nerd out about how it differs from Bitcoin. That’s why we should lead with the problem people already feel, “Your bank sees everything you buy…” positioning Zcash as a solution for privacy first, and comparing it to Bitcoin second.
It is probably the case that people in different regions and social milieus have different impressions of Bitcoin. I haven’t heard “fake internet money” or “isn’t that for criminals?” in years. I notice people these days often joke that they should have invested years ago, much like they say with $AAPL. That is why I think framing it as a ‘better Bitcoin’ is attractive to ordinary people who have that impression. Wouldn’t you want to invest in a newer, better Apple stock? Of course, I should add that we also have a responsibility to inform people about the risks when framing it this way, so that those who trust us don’t invest more than they can afford to lose.
I agree 100% that framing Zcash as the “Better Bitcoin” is the right hook to heighten interest. Also, your point on incorporating risk disclosure is not only necessary but actively builds the trust needed for onboarding proactive adoption.
