Zcash Library
A comprehensive glossary of key terms, concepts, and resources related to Zcash.
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A
| Term | Definition |
|---|
| Actions | Instead of creating several individual proofs for each Spend and Output, Orchard protocol merges them into a single Action. |
| Addresses | Zcash has Shielded (Z/zaddr) and Transparent (T/taddr) addresses. Unified addresses (UA) are phasing in to replace Z and T following the NU5 upgrade. |
| Arborist Call | A Bi-Monthly call around Protocol and Research development updates. Register here 15:00 UTC / 22:30 UTC / Notes |
| Auto-shielding | Enables users (more specifically their wallets) to automatically move funds from a transparent address to the latest shielded ZEC pool. |
B
| Term | Definition |
|---|
| Benchmarking | Miners are able to submit metrics on the efficiency of various hardware used to mine Zcash. View here |
| Block | A Block is a record in the Zcash blockchain that contains a set of transactions sent on the network. Roughly every 75 seconds, on average, a new block is appended to the blockchain. |
| Block Explorer | An online tool to view all transactions, past and current, on the blockchain. Zcash Block Explorer |
| Blogs | ECC Blog / Zcash Foundation Blog / Zcash Community Blog |
C
D
| Term | Definition |
|---|
| DeFi | Projects integrating ZEC with DeFi: RenBridge / ZeroDAO |
| Deshielding | Refers to a transaction being sent from a zaddr (shielded address) to a taddr (transparent address). The origin of the transaction is not visible however the funds enter a publicly visible value pool. Transaction Anatomy |
| Developer Resources | Developer Resources |
| Documentation | Official Docs |
E
| Term | Definition |
|---|
| ECC | The Electric Coin Company, the team behind the Zcash protocol, previously known as the Zcash Company. |
| ECDSA | Elliptic Curve Digital Signature Algorithm is a cryptographically secure digital signature scheme. The ECDSA sign/verify algorithm relies on elliptic curve point multiplication. |
| Education | Learning oriented videos explaining Zcash here |
| Encrypted Memos | An additional field for transactions sent to shielded addresses that is visible to the recipient of a payment. The encrypted memo is visible only to the sender and recipient. |
| Equihash | The memory-oriented proof-of-work mining algorithm that is used on Zcash. |
| Events | The Calendar of Zcash related Events here |
| Exchanges | List of Exchanges supporting Zcash |
F
| Term | Definition |
|---|
| Fiat-Shamir | A technique for taking an interactive proof of knowledge and creating a digital signature based on it. This way, some fact (e.g. knowledge of a secret) can be publicly proven without revealing underlying information. |
| Founders Reward | The Founder reward represents 20 percent of the total block reward and it is deducted from every block's value and transparently distributed to drive protocol development and growth. |
| Free2z | A tool for anonymous content and private donations powered by Zcash Free2z |
| FROST | Flexible Round-Optimized Schnorr Threshold signature scheme. Research Paper |
G
| Term | Definition |
|---|
| Governance | Decisions from the ZIP process are written into the Zcash specification, as well as the software that runs the network. The changes are ratified on-chain when the majority of the network adopts the upgrade and does not break consensus. Full Protocol History |
H
| Term | Definition |
|---|
| Halo | Enables circuit upgrades without the need for trusted setups, making the Zcash shielded protocol more agile for future improvements and extensions. Technical Explainer |
| HD Wallet | Hierarchical deterministic wallets generate a series of key pairs from one seed, providing convenience and manageability as well as high-level security. |
| Heartwood | The 4th Major Network Upgrade of Zcash. More Info |
I
| Term | Definition |
|---|
| Index | CoinDesk's ZCX Index represents a real-time, USD-equivalent spot rate for Zcash. Price Index |
| Integrations | You can accept Zcash payments through a number of 3rd party providers. Payment Processors |
| Interactive Proof System | An abstract machine that models computation as the exchange of messages between two parties: a Prover and a Verifier. |
| Investment | A number of Financial options are available for institutional investors or family offices who want to gain exposure to Zcash. Full list |
J
| Term | Definition |
|---|
| JubJub | An elliptic curve designed to be efficiently implementable in zk-SNARK circuits. |
K
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L
| Term | Definition |
|---|
| Layer-1 | Refers to a base network and its underlying infrastructure. Layer-1 blockchains can validate and finalize transactions without the need for another network. Zcash is an L1 blockchain. |
| librustzcash | A Rust workspace containing all crates and dependencies for working with Zcash. repo |
| Lightwalletd | A stateless server that serves light clients with blockchain information. Lightwalletd |
M
| Term | Definition |
|---|
| Metrics | Network metrics are available here |
| Metadata | Data that is generated alongside a user's Zcash transaction. This can include block height, transaction version or expiry height etc. |
| Mobile SDK | A lightweight SDK that connects Android to Zcash, allowing third-party Android apps to send and receive shielded transactions. Github |
| Mining | The process where for each block, nodes in the Zcash network compete by doing complex mathematical calculations to find a solution based on a self-adjusting difficulty. Guide |
| Multisignature | An address which requires multiple private key signatures in order to spend funds. Currently, multisig functionality is only supported by transparent addresses. |
N
| Term | Definition |
|---|
| Nighthawk | A Mobile wallet for Zcash - Website |
| NU5 | The 6th Major Network Upgrade for Zcash. More Info |
| NU6 | The 7th Major Network Upgrade for Zcash, introducing post-NU5 governance improvements and protocol enhancements. More Info |
O
| Term | Definition |
|---|
| Orchard Shielded Pool | The third shielded pool for Zcash and represents the continued evolution of our zk-SNARK technology stack. Full details |
| Overwinter | The 1st Network Upgrade for Zcash. More Info |
P
| Term | Definition |
|---|
| Payments | It is possible to use Zcash for everyday purchases through a number of different payment providers. Payment Apps |
| Peer-to-Peer Network | P2P networks are based on the concept of decentralization. The foundational architecture of blockchain technology. |
| Podcast | Radiolab / RealVisionFinance / EthDenver / UpOnlyPodcast / ZEC Daily |
Q
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R
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S
| Term | Definition |
|---|
| Sapling | A major network upgrade that introduced significant efficiency improvements for shielded transactions and paved the way for mobile adoption. Activated at block 419200. |
| Selective Disclosure | Allows the owner of a shielded address to selectively share viewing keys or payment disclosures with third parties while keeping data private from everyone else. |
| Shielded Address | Also called zaddr. Starts with z. Hides sender, receiver, amount, and memo using zk-SNARKs. |
| Shielded Transaction | A transaction exclusively between shielded addresses. Fully private on the blockchain. |
| Sol/s | Solutions per second - measures Equihash mining performance. |
| Spending Key | The private key that allows spending from a shielded address (also lets you view balance and history). |
| Sprout | The original shielded protocol version of Zcash (launched 2016). |
T
| Term | Definition |
|---|
| TAZ | Testnet Zcash (valueless test currency). |
| Testnet | A separate blockchain for testing upgrades and features before mainnet. |
| Transaction | A payment between users, submitted to the network and eventually confirmed in a block. |
| Transaction Expiry | Transactions expire after approximately 25 minutes (20 blocks) if unconfirmed; funds return automatically. |
| Transaction Fee | Default fee is 0.0001 ZEC. Higher fees get priority; very low fees may cause delays or expiry. |
| Transparent Address | Also called taddr. Starts with t. Fully public (like Bitcoin). |
| Transparent Transaction | A transaction exclusively between transparent addresses - everything is publicly visible. |
U
| Term | Definition |
|---|
| Unified Address | Modern address format (introduced in NU5) that works for both transparent and shielded payments in one string. |
| Upgrade Activation | The specific block height where a network upgrade (e.g. NU5, NU6) automatically activates. |
V
| Term | Definition |
|---|
| Viewing Key | A private key that lets you view the balance and transaction history of a shielded address without being able to spend the funds. |
W
| Term | Definition |
|---|
| Wallet | Software or hardware that stores private keys and lets you send/receive ZEC. Examples: Zecwallet, Nighthawk, YWallet, Zingo!. |
X
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Y
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Z
| Term | Definition |
|---|
| Zcash | Privacy-focused cryptocurrency using zk-SNARKs. Bridges transparent (Bitcoin-style) and fully shielded payments. |
| Zcash Foundation | Independent non-profit that supports the Zcash ecosystem, funds development, and promotes privacy. |
| Zcash Network | Peer-to-peer network of nodes that validates transactions and maintains the blockchain. |
| ZEC | The official currency code for Zcash (some exchanges still show XZC). |
| Zerocash | The academic protocol (2014) that Zcash is based on. |
| zk-SNARKs | Zero-Knowledge Succinct Non-Interactive Arguments of Knowledge - the cryptography that makes shielded transactions private yet verifiable. |
| ZIP | Zcash Improvement Proposal - the community governance process used to propose and ratify protocol changes. |
Last updated: March 2026
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