Electric Coin Company Feb. + March 2023 Newsletter

Hi everyone! Welcome to the latest edition of our newsletter, where we provide updates on ECC’s work and the broader Zcash ecosystem.

ECC is a founding member of the Universal Privacy Alliance (UPA). The UPA is a group of organizations building toward a future where privacy is acknowledged as a fundamental human right, use of privacy tools is normal, and solutions are built with privacy as the default setting.

To further advance this initiative, the UPA hosted a privacy summit at ETHDenver. The event hosted a number of discussions around privacy narratives, tech, and how we can build a brighter future for Web3.

Josh joined a panel on regaining your privacy in the digital age, and Zooko gave a talk on the evolution of Zero-Knowledge Proofs and why developers should adopt Halo.

Missed the livestream or in-person event? Watch it here.

Remember when there were no podcasts in the Zcash community? Well, now we’ve got another one!

Gary Weinstein and Paul Brigner, of ECC, have started a new podcast focusing on policy regulatory topics. They’ve released three episodes, and they’re absolute bangers!

This podcast is already interviewing some of the biggest names in the regulatory and policy space. Be sure to follow it here for updates.

Gary Weinstein penned an op-ed discussing why MiCA’s potential ban on shielded transactions would result in national security issues for the European Union.

In the opinion piece, he clearly outlines the need for encrypted cryptocurrency transactions and argues that if we inhibit the development of these systems, we would be creating a system that further enables bad actors, not deters them.

Privacy is a cornerstone of human rights. It allows us to communicate freely and securely, without fear of surveillance or retaliation. And, without private encrypted transactions, our financial transactions are exposed to bad actors.

Read Gary’s opinion piece here.

Dubai recently released regulations that could see the use of Zcash restricted in the Emirate. ECC put forward a statement calling on regulatory bodies to provide clarity over the regulation.

The regulation restricts the use of so-called “Anonymity Enhancing Cryptocurrencies” (AECs), however it is unclear what that definition entails. Are fractions of a Bitcoin that pass through a mixer anonymity enhanced? Are transparent Zcash transactions anonymity enhanced?

We hope to gather more clarity around these regulations and work with local regulators to ensure that Zcash users are free to transact in the manner in which they please.

Read our statement here.

We’ve recently released 5.4.2 and 5.3.3 to remediate bugs inherited from the Bitcoin Core code. You can read that press release here.

Ian Sagstetter is leaving ECC to go traveling. We’re looking for a communications and community manager to replace him. If you’re a crypto Twitter native, apply here!

Ian Sagstetter was recently on the Digital Cash Network’s podcast. He talked about his efforts around community initiatives and his hope for Zcash. Watch here.

As mentioned, Gary Weinstein dropped an op-ed on MiCA Article 68. It shows a great perspective on the balance between regulation and human rights. Check it out!

ECC’s Ian Sagstetter and Josh Swihart were a part of a Twitter Spaces with the Universal Privacy Alliance. Check it here.

We’ve curated a few links from the broader ecosystem, in case you haven’t seen them.

Let me know what you think of the newsletter, and if there’s any other content you’d like to see in future editions, send us an email ([email protected]).