The Forge Report #003: From Learning to Creating
August was another month of learning, creating and building inside the Forge.
This month, we partnered with PromptLab AI for our first AI-focused Anvil, ran our second creator commission, continued Zcash Education and introduced a more structured way for new creators to express interest in joining the community.
Here’s a look at what happened throughout August.
By the Numbers
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Assemblies held: 4
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Anvils / Workshops: 1
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Zcash Education Sessions: 3
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Community Members: 47
Our social channels:
X: 48 Followers
YouTube: 8 Subscribers
TikTok: 6 Followers
Instagram: 6 Followers
What’s New at the Forge
PromptLab AI × ZecForge
In August, we partnered with PromptLab AI, an AI creator ecosystem, to introduce Forge members to practical AI tools and creative workflows.
The collaboration led to an AI-focused Anvil covering areas including WRITING / DESIGN / VIDEO.
The goal was to expose members to additional tools they could incorporate into their existing creative process.
Contributor Intent Form
We also introduced the ZecForge Contributor Intent Form as a new entry point for creators interested in joining the Forge.
The form helps us understand who prospective members are, what they create, what they’re interested in learning and how they hope to contribute before they enter the community.
Commission #2 — Sell ZecForge in 30 Seconds
Our second commission challenged members to:
Sell ZecForge in 30 seconds.
The brief was simple: introduce ZecForge to someone who had never heard of it and make them understand what it is, who it is for and why they should care.
Creators were free to approach the commission through short-form video, animation, motion graphics, skits, threads and other creative formats.
Commission Bag: $100 in ZEC
Submissions: 5
The winners were:
1st: Favour — $40 ZEC
2nd: Oba — $30 ZEC
3rd: Abraham — $20 ZEC
Wildcard: Prince Matty — $10 ZEC
Zcash Education
Zcash Education continued as part of our weekly Assemblies throughout August.
Sessions held: 4
Average attendance: 10
During the month, we covered:
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What is financial privacy?
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Financial data in the digital age
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What makes Zcash Different?
Each session continued to build on the last, taking members further into Zcash, financial privacy and the ideas behind the technology.
Recordings from the sessions are available on the ZecForge YouTube channel.
Anvils (Workshops)
AI Anvil
Partner: PromptLab AI
Sessions: 6
Attendees: 9
This month’s Anvil introduced members to practical applications of AI across different areas of creative work.
Sessions covered:
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AI in graphics design
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AI in video creation (storyboarding, lighting, editing)
Members were able to explore how AI tools can support parts of their writing, design, visual and video workflows.
Member Wins
One of the clearest things we noticed in August was the improvement in the work some Forge members were putting out.
Several creators who participated actively in the AI Anvil began experimenting more with their visuals, graphics and overall presentation afterwards.
We also saw members continue developing their own Zcash content series and becoming more deliberate about how they explained ideas around Zcash and financial privacy. One of our members also participated in and won a bounty organised by the Zcash Kenya community.
One moment that stood out happened at Web3 Lagos, where one of our members, Favour, was actively helping onboard attendees at the Zcash booth and talking to people about Zcash.
What made that particularly meaningful for us is that just a few months earlier, when they joined the Forge in May, they knew little about Zcash.
By August, they were confident enough in what they had learned to help introduce other people to it.
A few of our members’ content from August:
These are small wins, but they’re the kind we like to pay attention to: members learning something inside the Forge and then applying it to their own work across the Zcash ecosystem.
August Heat Index
The Heat Index continued tracking consistent participation and contribution across the Forge.
This month’s leaderboard:
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Abraham — 118°
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Pelumi — 104°
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Favour — 102°
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Etukudo — 78°
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Oba — 66°
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Prince Matty — 56°
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Gilmore — 38°
Distribution Metrics
Throughout August, members of the Forge published:
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Total Zcash-related posts: 20
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Total Impressions: 14,022
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Likes: 427
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Comments: 105
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Reposts: 64
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Bookmarks: 4
These numbers give us a snapshot of how member-created Zcash content travelled throughout August.
Beyond reach, we also saw members become more consistent and more deliberate with how they presented their work.
Building the Forge
Our Zcash Education library continued to grow throughout August, with session recordings added to the ZecForge YouTube channel for members and anyone else who wants to learn at their own pace.
Watch the Zcash Education sessions here
Looking Ahead
Our focus for September is to continue:
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expanding Zcash Education,
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developing creators through Assemblies and Anvils,
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creating more opportunities for members to apply their skills,
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onboarding new creators into the Forge,
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taking more of what we’re building outside the Forge and into the wider Zcash ecosystem.
Closing Thoughts
August was mostly about strengthening what was happening inside the Forge: learning, creating, improving the work and making it easier for new creators to find their way in.
September, we’re looking outward.
We’ve spent the past few months building the foundation, and there are a few things coming up that will put the Forge, our creators and the work they’re doing in front of more people across the Zcash ecosystem.
We’ll have more to share soon.
You’re welcome to follow our journey via social media:
Twitter/X: zec_forge
YouTube: zecforge
Tiktok: zecforge
Instagram: zecforge