Zcash Community Grants Committee Google Meet Meeting: August 4, 2025
[Minutes taken by FPF]
Attendance:
- Artkor
- DecentralistDan
- GGuy
- Jason
- Zerodartz
- Alex (FPF resource, notetaker)
Key Takeaways:
- Open Grants
- Multifactor: MFKDF2
- Approved. Category: R&D. Updates: Monthly
- PGP For Crypto Events
- Approved. Category: Education. Updates: Monthly
- Jays - 2 Month Content Initiative
- Rejected. Referred to ZecHub.
- BTCPayServer - Orchard and UA
- Approved. Category: Integrations. Updates: Upon Completion
- Empire Podcast Sponsorship
- Too early to vote.
- Multifactor: MFKDF2
Open Grant Proposals
- Multifactor: MFKDF2
- MFKDF2 is an innovative open-source cryptographic project that builds upon the original Multi-Factor Key Derivation Function (MFKDF) to deliver significantly more secure and user-friendly key management for the Web3 ecosystem. Unlike traditional password-based key derivation functions (PBKDFs), MFKDF2 incorporates additional authentication factors—such as TOTP, HOTP, and hardware tokens like YubiKeys—directly into the key derivation process. This approach enables the creation of non-custodial wallets that offer the seamless user experience of custodial solutions while providing exponential security improvements. With support for threshold-based recovery policies and flexible key composition, MFKDF2 represents a critical advancement toward secure, private, and highly usable crypto wallets. This grant will support the development of MFKDF2 into a production-ready, audited, and widely adoptable security primitive. Requestor is asking for $39,000. ZCG members are asked to provide feedback and vote.
- Jason: We’ve talked about this a bunch internally. We’ve gotten feedback from ECC, ZF, and other people in the ecosystem, and I believe that we are ready to vote on this and are going to unanimously approve it.
- Gguy: I’m excited to approve this grant and I have high hopes that this technology can be used to improve the useability of Zcash.
- Artkor: I approve this grant because it’s an essential building block for replacing seed phrases. This grant lays the foundation for stronger UX and self-custody in the Zcash ecosystem. It might not deliver immediate user-facing features but the long-term potential is clear and worth investing in.
- Dan: I approve this grant and am glad to have a new team enter the Zcash ecosystem. I am excited about the potential of passkeys in general and think the deliverable for this grant has the potential to be quite impactful.
- Unanimous approval.
- MFKDF2 is an innovative open-source cryptographic project that builds upon the original Multi-Factor Key Derivation Function (MFKDF) to deliver significantly more secure and user-friendly key management for the Web3 ecosystem. Unlike traditional password-based key derivation functions (PBKDFs), MFKDF2 incorporates additional authentication factors—such as TOTP, HOTP, and hardware tokens like YubiKeys—directly into the key derivation process. This approach enables the creation of non-custodial wallets that offer the seamless user experience of custodial solutions while providing exponential security improvements. With support for threshold-based recovery policies and flexible key composition, MFKDF2 represents a critical advancement toward secure, private, and highly usable crypto wallets. This grant will support the development of MFKDF2 into a production-ready, audited, and widely adoptable security primitive. Requestor is asking for $39,000. ZCG members are asked to provide feedback and vote.
- PGP For Crypto Events
- 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. Requestor is asking for $20,000. ZCG members are asked to provide feedback and vote.
- Zerodartz: I think it’s very valuable and a reasonably priced way to get Zcash as a sponsor to a meaningful event with attendees who decide the future of policy, I approve. And Paul has a proven track record with those events already.
- Jason: One of the biggest reasons I support this proposal is because, compared to the Iron Fish proposal, which requested $10,000 per virtual event, these in-person events offer greater value and are more cost-effective. Paul has a strong track record of successfully leading the PGP events, and it would be great to have Zcash as a sponsor. I approve.
- Unanimous approval. (Dan abstained due to Paul’s role with ECC)
- 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. Requestor is asking for $20,000. ZCG members are asked to provide feedback and vote.
- Jays - 2 Month Content Initiative
- This two-month initiative will deliver consistent, X-native content to expand awareness of Zcash through clear, engaging, and privacy-focused storytelling. Each week, the project will produce one educational thread or long post, 2–3 micro-posts or quotes, one stylized visual, and timely reactions to ecosystem updates. The content will demystify privacy and zero-knowledge concepts, build cultural resonance around Zcash, and engage audiences who care about digital freedom—not just technology. The effort emphasizes clarity, tone, and repetition to deepen understanding and connection with Zcash. Requestor is asking for $4,000. ZCG members were asked to provide their feedback and vote.
- Jason: We discussed and we’re going to reject and we’d like to refer this requestor to ZecHub for potential funding.
- Dan: This feels like a great fit for ZecHub and I hope that Jays leans into the opportunity to get more involved in the Zcash ecosystem through that path.
- Unanimous rejection.
- This two-month initiative will deliver consistent, X-native content to expand awareness of Zcash through clear, engaging, and privacy-focused storytelling. Each week, the project will produce one educational thread or long post, 2–3 micro-posts or quotes, one stylized visual, and timely reactions to ecosystem updates. The content will demystify privacy and zero-knowledge concepts, build cultural resonance around Zcash, and engage audiences who care about digital freedom—not just technology. The effort emphasizes clarity, tone, and repetition to deepen understanding and connection with Zcash. Requestor is asking for $4,000. ZCG members were asked to provide their feedback and vote.
- BTCPayServer - Orchard and UA
- This project will upgrade the BTCPayServer wallet server to support Orchard and Unified Addresses (UAs), which are not currently handled due to the server’s pre-NU5 design. Without this support, users are forced to pay to Sapling legacy addresses, creating privacy risks by exposing transaction amounts when funds are held in the Orchard pool—common in shielded wallets like Zashi and Zingo. By enabling full Orchard and UA compatibility, the project closes a key privacy gap and strengthens Zcash’s shielded transaction ecosystem. Requestor is asking for $15,000. ZCG members were asked to provide their feedback and vote.
- Artkor: This is an important part of the future server plugin and I of course approve.
- Gguy: I believe that this might not be the last of the work for this project but given the reasonable cost of this I’m happy to approve and support this project.
- Zerodartz: We have seen some good positive feedback about the current integration and we need Orchard also so I approve.
- Dan: BTCpay integration has been successful and IMO will continue to be a great path for external parties to support ZEC and this grant is an essential part of improving the current integration.
- Unanimous Approval.
- This project will upgrade the BTCPayServer wallet server to support Orchard and Unified Addresses (UAs), which are not currently handled due to the server’s pre-NU5 design. Without this support, users are forced to pay to Sapling legacy addresses, creating privacy risks by exposing transaction amounts when funds are held in the Orchard pool—common in shielded wallets like Zashi and Zingo. By enabling full Orchard and UA compatibility, the project closes a key privacy gap and strengthens Zcash’s shielded transaction ecosystem. Requestor is asking for $15,000. ZCG members were asked to provide their feedback and vote.
- Blockworks: Empire Podcast Sponsorship
- This project proposes a Title Sponsorship of the Empire podcast—one of the most influential crypto shows with approximately 100,000 monthly listeners, 43% of whom allocate over $100,000 to crypto. Zcash will be the Premier Title Sponsor for 13 consecutive episodes starting October 17, with pre-roll and mid-roll host-read ads, along with headline sponsorship of the Empire newsletter for three weeks. Blockworks will manage creative production, with Foundation oversight and final approval. The campaign aims to boost brand awareness and encourage deeper audience engagement with Zcash, supported by performance reporting on impressions and click-through rates. Requestor is asking for $60,000. It’s too early to vote.
- DecentralistDan: I am supportive of this grant. I think it falls inline with something we’ve talked about focusing on more this quarter or this year, as far as dipping our toes into sponsorship, brand awareness, and marketing. I think this falls in line with that category and it’s something we’re interested in testing & experimenting with.
- Gguy: I agree that I view this as an experiment and I hope it can be successful and we can explore more grants like this in the future.
- Zerodartz: While I like the idea of Zcash being a sponsor to a podcast, then at this budget I don’t think it’s perfect. I’m currently leaning towards rejection..
- Arktor: I think we should try it.
- Jason: I agree to approve. I understand concerns about the budget but it’s experimental and if it works great, if it doesn’t then we’ll know sponsorships are not the best use of funds going forward. I think it’s a good time to do this given the recent buzz around privacy and Zcash. It also compliments other community initiatives we’ve supported and are planning to support in the future.
- It’s too early to vote. ZCG welcomes further community input, but will likely give Blockworks a decision by Wednesday, August 6th because they are holding the spot for Zcash..
- This project proposes a Title Sponsorship of the Empire podcast—one of the most influential crypto shows with approximately 100,000 monthly listeners, 43% of whom allocate over $100,000 to crypto. Zcash will be the Premier Title Sponsor for 13 consecutive episodes starting October 17, with pre-roll and mid-roll host-read ads, along with headline sponsorship of the Empire newsletter for three weeks. Blockworks will manage creative production, with Foundation oversight and final approval. The campaign aims to boost brand awareness and encourage deeper audience engagement with Zcash, supported by performance reporting on impressions and click-through rates. Requestor is asking for $60,000. It’s too early to vote.
Brainstorm Session Follow-Ups
- Pacu / DevRel Engineer
- After getting feedback from the community, ECC and ZF, ZCG has decided to extend Pacu’s agreement for a year. He’s an invaluable resource for the Zcash ecosystem, and he’s done a great job over the past year. Thank you Pacu for your impactful work across the Zcash ecosystem!
- Ledger
- Ledger fixed the issue for free that was causing ZEC to be bricked or stuck on Ledger devices. In the coming days, Ledger will submit their plan for retroactive funding to integrate shielded support plus ongoing support and maintenance.
- Grantee Code Quality
- Gguy shared new code quality expectations for grant applications, explaining that these improvements are based on past grant experiences with ECC and aim to ensure high-quality software contributions within the Zcash ecosystem. Henoted that the primary issue is overall code quality, regardless of whether engineers or LLMs are involved. The updated guidelines are intended to inform applicants early in the process, reducing surprises when code cannot be merged due to unmet standards. The following has been added to the ZCG Grant Application (form requires affirmative response to move on in the application process):
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I agree that for any new open-source software, I will create a CONTRIBUTING.md file that reflects the high standards of Zcash development, using the librustzcash style guides as a primary reference.
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I understand when contributing to existing Zcash code, I am required to adhere to the project specific contribution guidelines, paying close attention to any merge, branch, pull request, and commit guidelines as exemplified in the librustzcash repository.