Imagine running a full Zcash node in a simple, fast, and accessible way, with no technical headaches.
Introducing the Zebra-Pi: the first plug-and-play full node, 100% customized for Zcash, with the latest versions and built-in automatic downloads. Perfect for enthusiasts, devs, and the entire community looking to boost the network with total privacy!
The Magic Behind It: At the heart of the project is @james_katz, the visionary creator of the Zebra-Pi and absolute master of customization. Our Zcash Brazil team, with support from @Michae2xl as the funder and coordinator, turned the team’s idea into a practical reality.
Here’s what goes into each unit:
Stuffed Zebra: A cute and iconic touch, inspired by the Zcash mascot, to humanize the tech!
Configured Raspberry Pi 4: A powerful core optimized to sync the blockchain effortlessly.
Dedicated Power Supply : Stable for 24/7 operation, no glitches.
SSD with Pre-Loaded Blockchain: We cloned it for the others after the first hours turned into minutes in production!
Top Connectivity : Included Ethernet cable + native WiFi for flexible setups.
HDMI Cable: Plug into a monitor and track everything right away.
Handcrafted, reliable, and ready to shine all under James’s command!
Already Live: This isn’t just talk, we’re running it in real life!
Two Nodes 100% Online: One with James, who tested and approved every customization detail. Mine? It arrived at 99.9% sync and hit 100% in minutes, synchronized, secure, and validating transactions right now!
Third One Heading to the Community: We’re raffling it off to a passionate member who loves nodes.
With the Zebra-Pi, anyone can become a guardian of Zcash decentralization. Plug it in, power it up, and contribute, simple as that!
Check Out the Photos: Want your own Zebra-Pi? Stay tuned. Let’s strengthen Zcash together. Thank you!
It was a fun project to work with.
When Michael told me he wanted to run Zebrad on a raspberry PI, I remembered Doc Brown words:
The way I see it, if you’re gonna build a time machine into a car, why not do it with some style?
Yeah, if we’re going to run a full node, why not run it with some style?
The idea was to bring back the DIY projects, running a node should be fun, not bureaucratic.
I’m messing with pi-gen, the official raspberry PI image creator, Maybe I’ll release a pre-configured .img file, so anyone will be able to flash it into a sd card, and run a zebra full node with no stress (with system services and timers to check and download new zebrad versions).
I like this a lot this could help me with some I’m brainstorming on. This zebra in style for sure @Michae2xl & @james_katz is killing the hardware side of Zcash right now lets goo.
Yesterday, we upgraded Docker to the latest version, zfnd/latest.
The updates are automatic, and we are now running the latest version of Zebrad. Three instances are configured and functioning perfectly.
We are also exploring more cost-effective solutions to achieve greater scalability and ensure viability for everyone. Thanks to @james_katz and @shieldedmark for the brainstorming, we will conduct tests soon.
Hi there! My name is Esme and I am reaching out regarding a nonprofit called Open Source Together/OST.
We are very interested in writing an article about the Zebra Pi and would love to exchange info. We also hold auctions for charity and think this could be a worthy addition.
I apologize for not finding a more private way to contact you both. I just joined this forum for this and I am not fully familiar with how it works.
OST mainly focuses on Monero but is looking to branch out into ZCash. We think this could be the perfect solution.
If you’re interested, what would be the best way to go about this? Is there a way to private message?
Thank you for reaching out and introducing Open Source Together!
We are excited about your interest in Zebra Pi and your plans to expand OST’s focus into Zcash.
Featuring Zebra Pi in an article would be a great way to raise awareness, and we’re definitely open to exploring its inclusion in one of your charity auctions.
