Foundry plans institutional-focused Zcash mining pool launch in April

Digital Currency Group subsidiary Foundry Digital said it plans to launch a mining pool for the privacy-focused cryptocurrency Zcash in April, expanding beyond its dominant position in the bitcoin mining ecosystem.

The company currently operates Foundry USA Pool, which it says is the largest bitcoin mining pool globally by hashrate.

In an announcement on Wednesday, Foundry said the new pool will target institutional miners and public companies, offering compliance features, reporting tools, and U.S.-based operations similar to those used in its bitcoin mining pool.

“Zcash has matured into an institutional-grade asset, but the mining infrastructure supporting it hasn't kept pace,” Foundry CEO Mike Colyer said in a statement.

Zcash launched in 2016 as a privacy-focused cryptocurrency built using zero-knowledge proof technology that allows transaction details to be shielded while still verified on a public blockchain.

Zcash founder and Shielded Labs Chief Product Officer Zooko Wilcox said Foundry’s entry could help reduce mining concentration within the network and potentially attract new miners.

Privacy coin trend

This comes amid renewed attention on privacy-focused cryptocurrencies.

DCG founder Barry Silbert said last month that as much as 5%–10% of bitcoin’s value could eventually flow into privacy coins such as Zcash, framing the sector as a potential growth area for digital assets.

Zcash has experienced significant volatility over the past year. The protocol's native ZEC token surged from roughly $50 to around $700 in late 2025 before retreating sharply, falling below $200 earlier this month, according to The Block price data.

The ecosystem has also faced internal upheaval. In January, the entire staff of Electric Coin Company, the main developer behind Zcash, resigned following a governance dispute with its nonprofit parent organization.

Foundry said it expects the new Zcash pool to begin operations in April 2026.