DeFi Strategist RFP
About this Role
Zcash Community Grants (ZCG) is seeking a part-time DeFi strategist (contractor) who can evaluate opportunities, guide integrations, and strengthen Zcash’s presence in decentralized finance and Web3. This role requires someone with proven experience in the DeFi ecosystem who can help determine which integrations, partnerships, and collaborations are most impactful.
You will be responsible for ensuring that ZEC (and/or synthetic versions of ZEC) is widely supported and available across DeFi and Web3. This includes assessing projects, pursuing high-value integrations, and advising on strategy to expand adoption.
Responsibilities
-
Ensure ZEC (and/or synthetic ZEC) is integrated and available across key DeFi and Web3 platforms.
-
Evaluate potential integrations and partnerships, identifying which opportunities align best with ZEC adoption and growth.
-
Work on current partnerships and integrations, including NEAR, Maya, RedBridge, Crosslink, ShapeShift, and ZSAs.
-
Identify and prioritize additional high-impact integrations (DEXs, lending/borrowing platforms, collateralization, liquidity sourcing, cross-chain protocols).
-
Track and analyze emerging DeFi trends, protocols, and primitives relevant to ZEC.
-
Build and maintain relationships with developers, market makers, and community leaders.
-
Coordinate with ecosystem stakeholders on communications, marketing, and community calls.
-
Provide clear recommendations on what integrations to pursue and how to best leverage resources.
Requirements
-
Demonstrated experience and deep understanding of the DeFi ecosystem.
-
Familiarity with cross-chain technologies, wrapped assets, liquidity mechanics, and integration models.
-
Ability to critically assess new protocols, weighing risks against potential benefits.
-
Strong communication skills across technical and non-technical stakeholders.
-
Proactive, research-driven, and comfortable advising on strategy.
Performance Metrics
Success in this role will be measured by:
-
The number and quality of high-impact integrations initiated and supported.
-
Tangible growth in ZEC’s adoption, liquidity, and availability across DeFi platforms.
-
The effectiveness of recommendations provided (e.g., helping avoid low-value or high-risk integrations).
-
Strength of relationships built with external partners and communities.
-
Measurable progress on existing and future integrations that expand ZEC’s role in DeFi.
Engagement Details
The respondent selected by ZCG will be an independent contractor governed by an independent contractor agreement with the Financial Privacy Foundation (FPF). The agreement will be for a probationary three month period with an option for ZCG/FPF to extend for a year.
Application Timeline & Details
-
RFP posted on Zcash Community Forum on November 7, 2025
-
Responses due December 5, 2025, 11:59pm UTC
-
ZCG will review and select the winning proposal by December 22, 2025
How to Apply
Please submit a single PDF to contact@fpriv.org with the subject line “DeFi Strategist RFP Response 2025.”
Required Information
-
A brief bio summarizing your experience in DeFi and any relevant work with cross-chain integrations, liquidity, or asset listings.
-
Examples of relevant experience, including prior integrations, partnerships, or strategic DeFi work you’ve led or contributed to.
-
Your desired rate (hourly or monthly), in USD, to be paid in shielded ZEC.
-
A note about availability, confirming you can support this as a part-time engagement.
Questions
Please direct questions to contact@fpriv.org with the subject line “DeFi Strategist RFP Question 2025” or post in the related forum thread.