Summary
- Vitalik Buterin reportedly made a donation to Shielded Labs to support development of Crosslink, the next-generation consensus upgrade for the privacy-focused crypto asset Zcash (ZEC).
- This is his second donation following one in 2023; he said he was supporting Zcash—independent of the Ethereum roadmap—calling it “a trustworthy project that has consistently upheld privacy principles.”
- Shielded Labs is an independent development organization funded solely by donations, separate from Zcash block subsidies; Buterin’s support was described as a signal of confidence in a development model centered on long-term protocol improvements.
Vitalik Buterin, co-founder of Ethereum (ETH), is reported to have backed efforts to improve the consensus architecture of privacy-focused crypto asset Zcash (ZEC).
According to The News, a media outlet specializing in virtual assets (cryptocurrencies), on the 7th Buterin made a donation to Shielded Labs, a development organization for Zcash, supporting work on “Crosslink,” Zcash’s next-generation consensus upgrade. This marks his second donation following one in 2023.
Buterin’s latest support is also drawing attention because it is not directly tied to the Ethereum roadmap. In public remarks, he has described Zcash as “a trustworthy project that has consistently upheld privacy principles,” effectively voicing open support for the technological evolution of privacy infrastructure at a time when the regulatory environment is shifting toward structure- and control-centric frameworks.
Shielded Labs is an independent development organization operated solely on donations, separate from Zcash block subsidies. Structured to focus on long-term protocol improvements without being constrained by short-term budgets or governance pressure, Buterin’s backing is being interpreted as a signal of confidence in this development model itself.
Minseung Kang
minriver@bloomingbit.ioBlockchain journalist | Writer of Trade Now & Altcoin Now, must-read content for investors.
