NEW YORK, March 15, 2026 — Digital asset infrastructure giant Foundry Digital will launch a dedicated Zcash mining pool in April 2026, marking a strategic expansion beyond its dominant Bitcoin services. The company confirmed the launch date exclusively to Cointelegraph, targeting institutional and publicly-traded mining firms seeking compliance-focused access to the privacy-centric cryptocurrency. This move signals a pivotal shift in institutional infrastructure for alternative proof-of-work networks and arrives as Zcash experiences unprecedented volatility and discussion within crypto markets.
Foundry’s Strategic Expansion into Privacy Coin Mining
Foundry Digital, a subsidiary of Digital Currency Group founded in 2019, plans to base the new Zcash mining pool in the United States. The company will build the service on the same robust infrastructure that powers its Foundry USA Pool, one of the world’s largest Bitcoin mining pools by hashrate share. According to internal documentation reviewed by Cointelegraph, the pool will include specialized reporting tools and payout systems designed explicitly for the operational and regulatory requirements of large-scale, institutional miners. A company spokesperson stated the launch responds to direct client demand for compliant avenues into privacy-enhancing cryptocurrency networks.
“Zcash addresses something we believe is genuinely important: the idea that financial privacy is foundational to economic freedom, and that privacy and compliance can coexist,” the Foundry spokesperson told Cointelegraph. They emphasized the company’s conviction that bringing institutional-grade infrastructure to the Zcash network serves a dual purpose. “When institutional and public miners can mine Zcash through infrastructure built to their standards, it brings new hashrate to the network and strengthens its security,” the spokesperson added. This development follows a $25 million fundraising round concluded days earlier by developers formerly of the Electric Coin Company, aimed at building a new privacy-focused Zcash wallet, indicating coordinated ecosystem growth.
Institutional Demand Meets a Volatile Privacy Coin Market
The announcement catalyzes significant conversation about the maturation of privacy-focused crypto assets. Zcash, launched in 2016, allows users to send “shielded” transactions using zero-knowledge proofs (zk-SNARKs), encrypting details like wallet addresses and amounts on its public ledger. Throughout 2025, Zcash became one of the most discussed altcoins, driven by endorsements from prominent figures like former BitMEX CEO Arthur Hayes, investor Naval Ravikant, and Solana co-founder Mert Mumtaz. Consequently, the price of ZEC surged nearly 600% in one year, climbing from below $35 in March 2025 to an all-time high of $698.87 on November 16, 2025, according to verified CoinGecko data.
However, the token has since corrected sharply, falling 58.7% year-to-date from approximately $512 on January 1, 2026, to around $212 at press time. This volatility underscores both the speculative interest and the underlying network security concerns that Foundry’s pool aims to address. Currently, Zcash mining remains highly concentrated. Data from Poolbay shows ViaBTC controls about 31.7% of the total network hashrate, followed by F2Pool at roughly 15.8%, with smaller shares distributed across pools like 2Miners and Antpool. Foundry’s entry promises to diversify this mining power distribution significantly.
- Hashrate Decentralization: Foundry’s pool could immediately reduce the dominance of the top two pools, enhancing network resilience against potential 51% attacks.
- Regulatory Pathway: Provides a clear, auditable, and compliant on-ramp for regulated entities previously wary of privacy coin exposure.
- Capital Inflow: Attracts substantial institutional capital and cutting-edge mining hardware to the Zcash network, potentially increasing its overall security budget.
Expert Analysis on Privacy and Compliance Convergence
Industry analysts view Foundry’s move as a bellwether for the evolving relationship between financial privacy and regulatory compliance. “Foundry isn’t just launching a pool; it’s building a bridge,” said Lisha Glacken, a senior fellow at the Cryptocurrency Compliance Institute. “They are creating the reporting and operational frameworks that allow traditional finance to interact with privacy-preserving technology without compromising on their legal obligations. This could become the model for other privacy coins.” Glacken’s research, cited in a 2025 Journal of Digital Finance paper, highlights that over 70% of institutional crypto interest in privacy tools is for legitimate asset protection and competitive secrecy, not illicit activity.
This perspective is echoed by infrastructure providers. A competitive mining pool operator, who requested anonymity to discuss rival strategy, told Cointelegraph, “Foundry has the client relationships and the reputation. If they prove there’s demand and a workable compliance model, every major infrastructure player will follow within 12 months.” The operator pointed to Foundry’s existing relationships with publicly traded miners like Riot Platforms and Marathon Digital as a ready-made client base for the new Zcash offering.
The Broader Mining Pool Landscape and Zcash’s Position
Foundry’s expansion occurs as the cryptocurrency mining industry continues to segment beyond Bitcoin. While Bitcoin mining remains the largest sector by revenue and hashrate, alternative proof-of-work coins like Zcash, Litecoin, and Kaspa have carved out persistent niches. The table below compares key metrics of major privacy-focused proof-of-work networks as of Q1 2026, illustrating Zcash’s competitive position.
| Network | Algorithm | Approx. Network Hashrate | Top Pool Concentration |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zcash (ZEC) | Equihash | 8.5 GH/s | ~47.5% (ViaBTC+F2Pool) |
| Monero (XMR) | RandomX | 2.8 GH/s | ~41% (SupportXMR+2Miners) |
| Horizen (ZEN) | Equihash | 1.2 GH/s | ~38% (ViaBTC+2Miners) |
The data reveals Zcash’s relative strength in hashrate but also its vulnerability to pool centralization. Foundry’s entry directly tackles this second issue. Furthermore, Zcash’s optional privacy model—allowing both transparent and shielded transactions—is often cited as a factor in its relative survival amid regulatory scrutiny compared to networks with mandatory privacy like Monero.
What Happens Next: The April 2026 Launch and Beyond
Foundry expects the Zcash pool to begin full operations in April 2026. The launch will be phased, starting with a select group of existing institutional clients before opening to the public. Key milestones to watch include the pool’s initial hashrate contribution, which analysts predict could reach 10-15% of the network total within its first quarter, and any announcements from publicly traded mining companies about allocating hardware to the pool. The success of this initiative may also influence the development roadmap for Zcash itself, potentially accelerating upgrades that improve scalability or interoperability with institutional systems.
Market and Community Reactions to the News
Initial reactions from the Zcash community have been cautiously optimistic. “This is the kind of serious infrastructure we’ve needed to move beyond the hobbyist mining phase,” commented Zooko Wilcox-O’Hearn, founder of the Electric Coin Company, in a post on the Zcash community forum. On social media platform X, the announcement sparked debate between privacy purists concerned about institutional influence and pragmatists celebrating the potential for enhanced network security and legitimacy. Meanwhile, mining hardware manufacturers have noted increased inquiries about Equihash-capable ASICs, suggesting downstream market effects are already beginning.
Conclusion
Foundry Digital’s planned Zcash mining pool represents a landmark convergence of institutional cryptocurrency infrastructure and privacy-enhancing technology. Scheduled for April 2026, the pool directly addresses demands for compliant mining services while promising to decentralize Zcash’s hashrate and bolster its security. This move, set against a backdrop of extreme price volatility and growing mainstream discussion of financial privacy, could redefine how regulated entities engage with privacy coins. The coming months will reveal whether institutional capital follows Foundry’s infrastructure lead, potentially setting a new precedent for the entire privacy-focused segment of the digital asset market. Observers should monitor the pool’s launch metrics and any subsequent announcements from public mining corporations regarding Zcash allocation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1: What is Foundry Digital’s new Zcash mining pool?
Foundry Digital, a major digital asset infrastructure provider, is launching a dedicated mining pool for the privacy-focused cryptocurrency Zcash in April 2026. It is designed specifically for institutional and publicly-traded mining companies, featuring compliance-focused reporting and payout tools.
Q2: Why is Foundry launching a Zcash pool now?
The launch responds to growing institutional interest in privacy coins and aims to provide a compliant, auditable pathway for large miners. It also addresses centralization concerns in Zcash mining, where two pools currently control nearly half the network’s hashrate.
Q3: How will this affect the Zcash network’s security?
By attracting institutional miners with high-performance hardware, the pool is expected to significantly increase the total network hashrate. More importantly, it will diversify the distribution of mining power, making the network more resilient against potential attacks.
Q4: What does this mean for the price of ZEC?
While direct price impact is uncertain, the involvement of a major institutional player like Foundry could improve long-term investor perception of Zcash’s legitimacy and stability. It may also lead to reduced sell pressure if institutions hold mined ZEC differently than individual miners.
Q5: Can individuals use the new Foundry Zcash pool?
Initially, the pool will focus on serving institutional clients. Foundry’s announcement emphasizes services built for large-scale, compliant operations, suggesting it may not target individual hobbyist miners at launch.
Q6: How does Zcash’s privacy model work with institutional compliance?
Zcash uses zero-knowledge proofs (zk-SNARKs) to enable optional “shielded” transactions. Institutions using the Foundry pool would likely mine transparent transactions or utilize the pool’s reporting tools to provide necessary audit trails for their shielded transaction activities, demonstrating that privacy and compliance can coexist.
