ZF Launches New Initiative to Champion Privacy-Preserving Humanitarian Aid

Ecosystem Updates Zcash Foundation
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We invite you to read about our new initiative!

Zcash Foundation Launches New Initiative to Champion Privacy-Preserving Humanitarian Aid

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Hey everyone,

The Zcash Foundation is proud to announce the launch of the Shielded Aid Initiative (SAI)—a focused, strategic effort to bring Zcash’s privacy-preserving technology to the forefront of humanitarian aid. This initiative reflects our deep commitment to protecting vulnerable communities by embedding privacy protections into the core of digital aid infrastructure.

In a world of unchecked surveillance and digital exploitation, Zcash offers something radically different: technology that puts people first. The Shielded Aid Initiative represents an opportunity to advance the original vision and aspirations of Zcash by protecting societies against their enemies and empowering a peaceful and more prosperous future. SAI extends that ethos into global aid, civil society, and beyond.

The Opportunity

Humanitarian organizations distribute between $6 billion and $10 billion in cash aid annually, with a peak near $10 billion in 2022. Cash is increasingly favored because it restores dignity, empowers recipients, and provides flexibility in crisis settings. It’s also more cost-effective to deliver than in-kind aid; a critical factor as humanitarian budgets continue to shrink.

But as digital cash tools gain traction, many aid programs are adopting transparent blockchains that unintentionally expose recipients’ personal data. The result? Permanent, public records that hostile actors can exploit and real harm to the very people aid is meant to protect.

We believe Zcash can and should be part of the solution.

What This Means for Zcash

SAI isn’t just about humanitarian impact, it’s also a unique opportunity to advance the Zcash ecosystem:

  • Increased usage: Aid distribution is a real-world, high-frequency use case for shielded transactions.

  • Improved perception: For too long, Zcash has been lumped into outdated crypto tropes. With the SAI, we have an opportunity to deploy it as life-preserving infrastructure in crisis zones and anywhere privacy and freedom are under siege.

  • Strategic partnerships: Collaborating with leading NGOs and multilateral organizations opens doors for broader integrations.

Why ZF Is Pursuing This

This initiative aligns with ZF’s charitable mission; supporting privacy tools that serve the public good. It’s also deeply personal for me: I’ve spent 30 years in the nonprofit sector, including a decade in humanitarian response. I’ve seen, firsthand, the risks vulnerable populations face when their data isn’t protected, and I understand the opportunities and challenges that this sector provides.

This work also opens the door to new funding sources, new collaborative partnerships across sectors and ecosystems, and builds bridges between the Zcash ecosystem and the global aid sector, creating a more resilient, mission-aligned future for ZF and Zcash.

Our Approach

Here’s how we’re tackling this:

  • Build credibility through publications, conference presentations, podcasts, and direct engagement.

  • Offer practical help to aid organizations considering blockchain tools, including education for all organizational levels, privacy risk assessments, strategic input, and Zcash-based pilot designs.

  • Stay focused on impact, not hype. We’re prioritizing quality, trust-based relationships over flashy headlines.

We’re going to be aggressive and direct, pursuing all opportunities to spread SAI’s “privacy with purpose” message.

We’re already in conversations with multiple aid groups and we’re working steadily toward pilot projects that put Zcash to work for people who need privacy most. We’re under no illusions;this will take time. But our approach allows for concurrent actions all designed to implement Zcash-based solutions for humanitarian aid blockchain infrastructure.

To Zcash Builders

To all the developers, researchers, and builders across the Zcash ecosystem: the work you’re doing, from ZSAs to wallet improvements to scaling for the future, is critical. The Shielded Aid Initiative will draw directly on these advancements as we bring Zcash technology into humanitarian settings where privacy means protection. But this is just one of many important use cases. Zcash is for everyone and we know there are countless other communities, from activists to small business owners to everyday users, who need what Zcash offers. By continuing to deliver utility and usability, while staying open to targeted applications like this one, we can support practical, sustainable adoption across sectors and user groups.

The Bigger Picture

SAI is about purpose. It’s about utility. It’s about expanding the use cases for shielded technology, who it’s for and who it protects around what shielded technology is for and who it protects.

This initiative brings Zcash’s core values into one of the most consequential arenas of all: protecting people in crisis. Together, we can make privacy-preserving humanitarian aid not the exception, but the new standard.

Let’s continue to build a shielded future for everyone.

Alex, Interim Executive Director, ZF

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As @Alex_ZF mentions above, our efforts will include building credibility in this sector through publishing on well-respected humanitarian aid platforms. Our first publication is now available on the Humanitarian Practice Network.

Privacy in peril: safeguarding digital data in humanitarian blockchain initiatives

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