{"id":26816,"date":"2023-12-19T01:09:28","date_gmt":"2023-12-19T01:09:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/nftandcrypto-news.com\/crypto\/zcash-founder-zooko-wilcox-steps-down-from-electric-coin-naming-new-ceo\/"},"modified":"2023-12-19T01:09:31","modified_gmt":"2023-12-19T01:09:31","slug":"zcash-founder-zooko-wilcox-steps-down-from-electric-coin-naming-new-ceo","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nftandcrypto-news.com\/crypto\/zcash-founder-zooko-wilcox-steps-down-from-electric-coin-naming-new-ceo\/","title":{"rendered":"Zcash founder Zooko Wilcox steps down from Electric Coin, naming new CEO"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

Zooko Wilcox is stepping down as the CEO of Electric Coin Company, the team behind privacy-focused cryptocurrency Zcash (ZEC).<\/p>\n

ECC announced a change in leadership on Dec. 18, with Josh Swihart promoted to replace Wilcox.<\/p>\n

Wilcox speaking about the history of privacy on the internet. Source: ECC\/YouTube<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Swihart previously worked at ECC as one of the firm\u2019s vice presidents of growth from October 2018 to August 2023 but took four months off working as a part-time investor at investment services firm Denver Angels in Colorado, according to LinkedIn.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe feel confident in Josh\u2019s leadership \u2014 in finding product-market fit, unlocking new partnerships and collaboration, improving Zcash usability and increasing adoption,\u201d ECC said in a Dec. 18 post.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn addition to a vision for ECC and an optimistic passion for Zcash, Josh has a strong entrepreneurial, technical and product background,\u201d the firm added.<\/p>\n

\n

I cannot begin anywhere else but to give my thanks and respect to @zooko<\/a>. He breathed life into Zcash and has been its flag bearer – not just for the project but for human freedom. He is a hero.<\/p>\n

\u2014 Josh Swihart (@jswihart) December 18, 2023<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Swihart said the firm will focus on increasing Zcash\u2019s utility through user-focused products over the next few months and to better position ECC financially. <\/p>\n

Wilcox \u2014 a self-described \u201chuman freedom maximalist\u201d \u2014 reflected positively on his time building Zcash from the ground up in a Dec. 18 Medium post:<\/p>\n

\u201cIt has been an incredible experience, and I\u2019ll always be grateful that I had the opportunity to live out one of my science fiction dreams in reality.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

However, Wilcox said it was best for him and the company to part ways. \u201cI don\u2019t think this conflation of Zcash with me personally is healthy for me, and I don\u2019t think it\u2019s healthy for Zcash,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n

\u201cZcash\u2019s role in human history is, and will be, much bigger than any individual,\u201d Wilcox added.<\/p>\n

The Zcash co-founder conceded that he had clashed with Swihart on how to best take Zcash forward, but said the two never disagreed on \u201cwhy.\u201d<\/p>\n

Related: <\/strong>Binance was wrong to boot Monero, Zcash and other privacy coins<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Wilcox will remain in his role as a director on the board of the Bootstrap Project, the parent company of ECC. Alan Fairless, Christina Garman, Michelle Lai and Zaki Manian are also on that board.<\/p>\n

Zcash is a privacy-focused blockchain and cryptocurrency that was launched on Oct. 29, 2016. ECC was founded two years earlier, in 2014.<\/p>\n

Zcash is based on Bitcoin’s codebase and, like Bitcoin (BTC), has a fixed supply of 21 million coins.<\/p>\n

The news had no material impact on ZEC\u2019s price, which is currently at $28.8, according to CoinGecko.<\/p>\n

Magazine: <\/strong>Lawmakers\u2019 fear and doubt drives proposed crypto regulations in US<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n