Governance Rift Sparks ECC Team Exodus, New Zcash Venture Emerges

Internal power struggles have fractured Zcash's core team—and the fallout is birthing a fresh competitor.

The Exodus Explained

Key developers from the Electric Coin Company (ECC) are walking out. The reason? A fundamental clash over Zcash's future direction. Governance proposals turned into battlegrounds, with debates over treasury allocation and protocol upgrades reaching a breaking point. The team didn't just disagree—they decided to build their own table.

Blueprint for a New Zcash

The departing faction isn't fading into obscurity. They're channeling their expertise into a new, independent firm focused on Zcash's ecosystem. Expect a sharp pivot in development philosophy and governance model. This isn't a fork of the protocol—at least not yet—but a rival center of gravity for development talent and community influence.

Market Tremors and Community Fracture

Such a public schism sends shockwaves through any crypto project. It immediately raises questions about development continuity, investor confidence, and network security. For a privacy-focused asset like Zcash, unwavering trust in its stewards is paramount. That trust just got a lot more complicated.

The spin-off firm now faces the classic crypto startup dilemma: convincing a skeptical market to fund a 'better vision' while the original project—still heavily funded—claims it's business as usual. It's the decentralized equivalent of corporate raiding, just with more idealism and fewer neckties.

Ultimately, this rift highlights a painful truth for 'governance token' enthusiasts: voting rights don't prevent human drama. They just formalize the arguments. The real test is whether competition breeds innovation or simply dilutes efforts—another case of founders betting the farm that their new spreadsheet will finally solve crypto's coordination problems.

TLDR

• The entire Electric Coin Company team has departed due to governance disagreements with the Bootstrap board.
• CEO Josh Swihart stated that changes imposed by the board made it impossible for the team to continue their work.
• The team plans to launch a new company that will continue building on Zcash’s mission of privacy and decentralization.
• The Zcash protocol and codebase remain unaffected since they are open-source and not owned by any single company.
• Former ECC CEO Zooko Wilcox supported the Bootstrap board and confirmed the network remains safe and operational.

The team behind Electric Coin Company (ECC), formerly responsible for Zcash development, has departed following disputes with its governing nonprofit; the developers now plan to launch a new company that continues to support Zcash’s vision, while the protocol and open-source code remain unaffected.

Electric Coin Company Departs After Internal Conflict

Electric Coin Company has parted ways with Bootstrap, the nonprofit overseeing its operations, due to governance disagreements. The ECC team, including CEO Josh Swihart, said changes made by the Bootstrap board triggered a “constructive discharge.” Swihart stated the work environment became untenable, making it impossible for the team to continue.

He said, “The majority of Bootstrap’s board moved into clear misalignment with the mission of Zcash.” He identified Zaki Manian, Christina Garman, Alan Fairless, and Michelle Lai as the board members leading the disputed changes.

Over the past few weeks, it's become clear that the majority of Bootstrap board members (a 501(c)(3) nonprofit created to support Zcash by governing the Electric Coin Company), specifically Zaki Manian, Christina Garman, Alan Fairless, and Michelle Lai (ZCAM), have moved into…

— Josh Swihart(@jswihart) January 7, 2026

The ECC team cited altered employment terms and an inability to work with integrity under the new structure. This departure was not a scheduled resignation but described as an outcome of enforced conditions by Bootstrap leadership.

Confusion emerged over titles as Swihart clarified he was incorrectly listed as executive director of Bootstrap in public records. The leadership emphasized that this was a governance breakdown, not a disagreement over technical matters or Zcash’s Core vision.

Team Plans New Company to Continue Zcash Mission

Following their exit, the ECC team confirmed plans to establish a new company dedicated to Zcash development. Swihart stated, “We are not abandoning the mission. We are building unstoppable private money.” The new entity aims to continue Zcash’s emphasis on privacy and user control without interference from nonprofit oversight.

While the original company has exited, the Zcash codebase remains open-source and available to the community. Swihart said the protocol is still safe, decentralized, and accessible to users and developers alike.

Former CEO and Zcash founder Zooko Wilcox supported the Bootstrap board and said Zcash remains secure. He highlighted that differing leadership views are at the center of the split, not protocol-related issues.

The protocol continues to operate independently, with no single company having control over its future. Developers reassured the public that Zcash will remain permissionless and functional as development continues through other channels.

ZEC Token Reacts to Company Restructuring

The market responded quickly after the announcement of ECC’s departure and restructuring plan. ZEC, the native token of Zcash, fell 10.3% in 24 hours, trading at $443.38 during the reporting period. This price movement wiped out most of the token’s gains from December. Analysts attributed the drop to concerns over leadership changes and organizational continuity.

Some supporters believe independence from Bootstrap will help protect the original vision for Zcash. Others expressed concern about fragmentation in development and the impact on long-term support. Community members debated whether the split WOULD cause future instability or offer new development opportunities.

The team behind the new company intends to maintain Zcash’s technical roadmap without disruption. The open-source nature of the protocol ensures access for contributors regardless of company affiliation.