Proposal for Marketing Efforts at Global Conferences

Community Grants
1

Changing Hearts, Minds, and Wallets: A Zcash Global Conference Strategy: Crowd-Source Request

In the past year of traveling to conferences (ETHDenver, Consensus 2025 in Toronto, MoneroKon 2025 in Prague), I’ve noticed Zcash’s absence from the industry’s largest gatherings, and it disheartens me because it allows technically inferior privacy solutions to capture mindshare through consistent market presence alone. To some degree, I can’t blame the Bitcoin bros who genuinely think BTC is private. That’s the marketing scheme they have been fed. But I want to see privacy tech in the world, and I want to make it happen.

@fabacab and I just got back from Boston Blockchain Week where we made an effort to get people converted to the Zcash privacy ethos and download Zashi. During our 5 days at the event, @fabacab convinced 18 people to download Zashi. Including the bar/drinks vendor, some random bar locals, students from MIT’s Blockchain club, plus friends from Canadian blockchain technology and cryptocurrency marketing agency, Blockchain North. (https://x.com/BlockchaiNorth/status/1967677336586948700 Eye-spy @fabacab ’s interview in this montage).

We took some follow-up pics and videos to share the onboarding experience, and document our efforts to spread awareness and increase Zcash usage. Heart by heart, wallet by wallet, changing lives into the new privacy landscape.

By sharing shielded addresses of those newly onboarded, some @BostonZcash folks in attendance and online enjoyed sending “shielded welcome notes” to the new Zashi-ers. (https://x.com/BostonZcash/status/1968008021264720314).

> Now we are looking at **devConnect Argentina** overlapping with **ETHBuenos Aires** in November, and I think it would be great for Zcash to have a presence there.

Today I’m asking for support in marketing Zcash to the broader ETH and crypto community by sending @fabacab , me and potentially 1-2 other Zcashers to conferences for direct action privacy education.

On a personal note: One thing I’ve discovered for myself over the years, is that changing minds has to start with heart-to-heart moments where you take the time to listen and engage in meaningful conversations. People who need Zcash need it presented to them in a way that doesn’t feel like a scam. People who are genuinely curious need real information from a trustworthy and knowledgeable human in a one-on-one or small group conversation, not from listicles they are sent via links in group chats. People who are ready to commit need actionable information to help them take the next step in the moment, with a hands-on example. Most of these steps can’t happen virtually. It’s very hard to build trust and connection in 150 characters, and deep heart-to-heart conversations to meet people where they are at, can only succeed in winning people over when it’s done in-person. I’ve come to believe that this how to lay the seeds for deep, fundamental change. In other words: you have to physically show up, and put the body you have in the place it needs to be.

This could be the start of a larger set of conferences, for sustained Zcash presence in the community, with a consistent team traveling with a dedicated purpose. Converting people to Zcash advocating with an unwavering commitment to freedom privacy tech rooted in their own real, personal need, answering questions with patience and from a place of deep practical and technical understanding, wearing Zcash shirts the whole time, taking photos and smiling and being present to engage with the would-be community in those places. We would enthusiastically engage in teachable moments with attendees from across the world.

**Vision:** A 6-month global conference initiative that would position Zcash’s superior zero-knowledge privacy technology directly in front of 75,000+ developers, institutional decision-makers, and privacy-conscious users across six strategically selected events spanning four continents.

The concentrated timeline creates compounding momentum effects, where each event builds credibility for the next, repositioning Zcash from its current small corner of an industry “best-kept secret” into the recognized gold standard for private cryptocurrency technology needed and wanted by the next billion people who, today, only trust physical cash.

The Current Ask

November 17-22, 2025

  • Ethereum Cypherpunk Congress #2 by Web3Privacy Now
  • DevConnect Argentina
  • ETHBuenos Aires

DevConnect Argentina represents the optimal entry point because it’s developer-focused (aligning with Zcash’s technical strengths), is a combination of 3 major events, and takes place in Argentina’s high crypto adoption environment.

Pilot Event Investment: ~$14,460

Cost Breakdown:

  • Travel Per Person: $3,615 per person

    • Flights: NYC → Buenos Aires: $1,200 - $1,500 per person

    • Hotel: $300-350 per night per two people (7 nights: $1225)

    • Food: $70/per day/pp ($490)

    • Incidentals + Ubers: $40 per day ($280)

    • DevConnect Ticket: $120

We will fund @fabacab, me, and then 2 non-Zcash-forum users per schedules and funding availability. If we don’t raise the full amount for this event, funds will roll over to support ETHDenver.

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Donation Address: u18k2wk6dk9qarekd03v8qgy29qhxp9jag6mmkvvspwrszp0sd48mv043nsfha8vx763432x2gymnu7pvzku6n6ptve5tlvfa7wgq9vf6vzwkt7q3wweju3th2y3ldkjxdst78hlww38en64zljse55gz37s2dkxxqn8p0q3xxf5jj9rqk

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Strategic Event Portfolio

1. DevConnect Argentina - November 17-22, 2025 (Current Ask)

  • First-ever “Ethereum World’s Fair” with global developer community

  • Ethereum Cypherpunk Congress #2 by Web3Privacy Now + ETHBuenos Aires

  • Argentina’s high crypto adoption creates ideal environment for privacy messaging

2. ETHDenver - February 2026 (Future Vision)

  • Largest free Ethereum event with 18,000+ attendees and major hackathon component

  • Strong privacy-conscious developer community perfect for SDK integration discussions

3. Monerotopia Mexico City – Feb 12-15, 2026 (Future Vision)

  • Premier privacy-focused cryptocurrency conference

  • Direct access to privacy advocates; opportunity to build bridges with other privacy coins

  • Let’s extend the olive branch: Firo was at MoneroKon in Prague. Privacy coins can be friends.

4. Paris Blockchain Week - April 2026 (Future Vision)

  • Europe’s flagship blockchain conference with 9,500+ participants

  • Focus on EU regulation and MiCA compliance; gateway to European institutional adoption

5. BTC Vegas - April 27-29, 2026 (Future Vision)

  • Premium Bitcoin conference with tickets ranging $1,999-$7,777

  • High-net-worth individual attendance ideal for institutional outreach

6. Consensus Miami - May 5-7, 2026 (Future Vision)

  • North American flagship crypto event with 15,000+ expected attendees

  • Miami’s crypto-friendly environment; perfect culmination event to demonstrate 6-month momentum

  • Potential opportunity that is already in the works to co-host a lunch + learn workshop with WebQ to present a shortened version of TLC’s “Two Sides of the Same Coin” (which was presented on these forums earlier)

Why This Matters

This strategic conference portfolio addresses critical market gaps through complete global reach, targeted audience segmentation (developers, privacy advocates, institutions, Bitcoin community), and timeline optimization that creates sustained market presence.

The pilot success at Boston Blockchain Week moving into DevConnect Argentina will validate our approach and generate compelling case studies for the complete vision, building momentum with each conference.

Team Composition

Project Lead + Logistics: I am Mylo Bennett, PMP and I bring unique qualifications: deep Zcash technical expertise (currently working with @emersonian on light waller server nodes and zcash-stack projects), logistics and project management support, and hands-on conference experience. In the last year, I’ve attended ETHDenver, Consensus Toronto, MoneroKon Prague, Permissionless in Brooklyn, ETHGlobal NYC hackathon, Boston Blockchain week, and PGP* in DC.

I will show my face on social media, so here I am:
https://linkedin.com/in/mylo-mbennett
https://x.com/zReadyMouse
https://github.com/ReadyMouse

Privacy Education Specialist: @fabacab - Drawing from workshop expertise, brings proven ability to translate complex privacy concepts into accessible learning experiences for diverse audiences of varying technical levels. ( Supporting Financial Privacy Education for At-Risk Communities - #9 by fabacab )

Community Development Representative: Zcash User - A seasoned member of the Boston Zcash community or a TLC workshop graduate who brings grassroots credibility and can speak authentically about real-world Zcash usage and community building.

Developer Relations Specialist: Zcash Ecosystem Developer - Technical contributor with hands-on Zcash SDK experience who can engage in deep technical discussions, provide code-level support, and demonstrate practical implementation pathways.

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Donation Address: u18k2wk6dk9qarekd03v8qgy29qhxp9jag6mmkvvspwrszp0sd48mv043nsfha8vx763432x2gymnu7pvzku6n6ptve5tlvfa7wgq9vf6vzwkt7q3wweju3th2y3ldkjxdst78hlww38en64zljse55gz37s2dkxxqn8p0q3xxf5jj9rqk

10 Likes
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I strongly support this initiative. In my view, having Zcash advocates present at major industry events is very valuable to the ecosystem.

Zcash today is more relevant to the broader crypto community than it has ever been. With features like crosspay and swaps now available in Zashi, there’s a fresh opportunity to engage developers, users, and institutions who may not have looked closely at Zcash in the past. These capabilities make Zcash immediately useful in ways that resonate with people outside our community, but they need to hear about them directly from knowledgeable advocates.

I’ve had the chance to personally interact with both @readymouse and @fabacab this year at industry and private events in NYC, Puerto Rico, and most recently at last week’s PGP* for Crypto meeting in DC. Based on those in-person experiences, I can vouch for their ability to represent Zcash with professionalism, clarity, and genuine enthusiasm. They are highly effective advocates who can connect with people in a way that builds trust and sparks interest.

Face-to-face engagement at conferences—whether it’s onboarding users to Zashi, explaining shielded transactions, or highlighting how Zcash fits into the multi-chain future—is one of the most effective ways to build trust and expand our reach. Other projects maintain visibility through consistent presence at these events; Zcash should do the same, especially at this pivotal time.

This proposal to establish a sustained, global conference presence is an important step in positioning Zcash where it belongs: as the gold standard for privacy in the crypto ecosystem.

13 Likes
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I would really like to visit Argentina (kidding :joy:). Count me in for DevConnect. I’m really excited for this initiative. It would be awesome to support these efforts in DevConnect.

Just FYI, DevConnect offers some discounts but I did my research and found nasty “KYC to unknown company who can do whatever it wants with your data” step that we don’t want to follow. I advise people to actually try to acquire tickets that don’t go through the KYC flow. I presume full face value tickets could actually be purchased without it.

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Completely agree with Paul!

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I dislike the idea of a stipend for globe-trotting con attendance being footed by ZCG.

If there is an excellent (and economical) plan with expectation of some kind of successful impact (even something humble like a booth!), or a strong previous track record, I think that would strengthen the proposal.

Two forum members with unclear depth (to me) of Zcash experience + 2 others (?) for $15k is a lot. What is this even asking for, really? IMO “direct action privacy education” needs some kind of good anchor to be visible at large events, it shouldn’t be (only) person-on-the-street, or at the bar ‘hey try this.’ This seems very loose and I am afraid the direct action might be rather light.

Also, I think about Zcash aligned people present in Argentina (if needed, ZCG might be able to grant them something for their efforts and time, but save on travel and lodging), and the ability for the funded orgs of ZF, ECC and SL to send their own people or contract, if they feel it is important enough.

If there will be an impact, also, and it can be demonstrated or documented somehow, this may be a good case for the new retroactive grants as opposed to ZCG. It has 1.5x more funding, and a much lower chance of just seeing zec go out the window with no impact but some good eating and fun uber rides around BA.

1 Like
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they dont mention applying for a ZCG grant if you read it closely. they are looking for communtiy donations instead.

imo it would make more sense to first go to DevConnect as quite a few Zcashers are planning to already go there and then if that has big positive impact look for further funding etc.

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Thanks @zerodartz

I noticed the topic was Community Grants but not Applications.

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Thank you to the lovely human who sent us a 50 ZEC donation for this project! :grinning_face: :green_heart:

As for the comments above, to address some concerns. I did reach out to devConnect about the cost and logistics for hosting one of their coffee bar or happy hours. However I never received a response, perhaps I was too late in asking about sponsorship.

Unfortunately DevConnect does not have open booths for non-ETH projects, so zcash would not be able to get a table on the conference floor.

A side event could potentially still be possible if @pacu was willing to help with some local knowledge on venues and places that might be a good option.

In collaboration with @BostonZcash, we try and collect wallet addresses for those who join Zashi and post them for others to send welcome notes. https://x.com/BostonZcash/status/1969884538227642379?t=Th0bQbgyHLmWcTr1039MZg&s=19

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Zcash will also have a booth at Web3Privacy event in case you missed that news a bit ago.

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Thanks for sharing, I did miss Josh S. on the speaker list. That’s exciting.

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:green_heart: Thanks to those who donated, I got close to enough to send @fabacab and I to the event! In some sense, we are also donating some amount to make this trip possible. The best investment you can make, is in yourself (and ZEC). :wink:

We will be booking travel soon (taking advantage of the high ZEC exchange atm), and I think I’d like to get some stickers printed that we can hand out to new Zcash and Zashi users.

I’m excited for this opportunity.

3 Likes
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What a great idea!

I am totally convinced that Zcash should be present at Bitcoin, Solana, Ethereum events, and all other projects in the ecosystem!

Firstly, because many people talk about “supposed privacy,” and secondly, because many people don’t even know what Zcash is or what it offers.

Yes, I understand that it is expensive.

But I think that within Zcash, just as there was an ambassador program a couple of years ago, there should now be a program of “conference attendees” or “traveling ambassadors” who are dedicated solely to these events: approaching people, having merch, having a booth (if possible), and doing live tests with wallets. Hopefully even being speakers.

Yes, we could say that Zcash should only target privacy events, but doing that, in my view, is a mistake, and it further pigeonholes Zcash into its privacy niche, as “only for a few,” as the oddballs of the ecosystem. And I think we need to change that narrative.

I support this initiative, and hopefully in 2026 Zcash will be present at more blockchain events around the world.

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Proof that large-scale events are important.

The greater the visibility and buzz, the greater the chance that people will become interested in Zcash, in developing, adopting, and using a wallet, in joining the community, etc.

This visibility is indeed beneficial for Zcash.

Look this: https://x.com/gordonesTV/status/1974191242931216441

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Update: We have bought flights, devConnect tickets, and travel arrangements for me and @fabacab. We didn’t quite get enough to cover a whole another person to join us, despite ZEC’s price actions. We will be at https://congress.web3privacy.info, many of the side events listed on Luma, as well as general mingling among those who aren’t already privacy-coin minded.

Right now I’m looking at getting some stickers printed to hand out as we mingle and try to convert folks to zcash and zashi. How many to print? A hundred? A thousand?

Open to donations to bring these ZECsy stickers to life.

privacy_zecsy
privacy_zecsy333×326 16.3 KB

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While I’m preparing for Argentina, I’m also bringing in new Zashi/cash users at home. Recently set up my sibling and father with private money.

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I also have met this team and have a strong positive impression of their ability to educate and connect with at-risk populations.

I travel to a ton of conferences and rarely see any Zcash presence. Yes conferences are expensive, but our peers and competitors are investing in them. It’s table stakes in the cryptocurrency industry for a project to be present at major crypto conferences.

I encourage donations here, this team is awesome. Sending them to represent Zcash at major events is a great investment. I’d support a grant for any amount not covered by crowdfunding, we need to be aggressively getting the word out about Zcash, especially leading up to the ZSA launch if we want devs/issuers.

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Thanks to everyone who donated!

I have ordered hundreds of stickers to give out, as @fabacab and I attend devConnect and many other related events during our week in Buenos Aires. To branch out from preaching to the choir, we will be focusing our outreach efforts on non-privacy related events.

I’ve started a separate post to collaborate with folks who are going to be in Argentina around the same time.