2026-01-11 23:23:13

A major event has occurred in the privacy coin sector. The core development team of Zcash, Electric Coin Company (ECC), collectively resigned on January 7, 2026, in a significant move—about 25 core members, including the CEO and Chief Scientist, left the team. The reason for the departure points to governance conflicts: the board (Bootstrap Project) unilaterally amended employment terms, leading to disagreements over development directions, ultimately evolving into a "presumed dismissal" situation.

The blockchain itself is not compromised. It’s important to clarify that the Zcash network is still operating normally, user funds are completely safe, and the decentralized nature of the blockchain means it won't collapse just because a team departs. The original ECC team announced plans to establish a new entity to continue privacy technology development, so from a technical continuity perspective, there is still a backup.

However, the market reaction was very direct. Within 24 hours of the news, ZEC plummeted by 16%-20%, briefly dropping close to $390, and the market cap evaporated by approximately $1.6 billion. The price broke below the key moving average support at $460-$470. From a technical standpoint, RSI is below 40, MACD shows a bearish pattern, and trading volume surged over 44%, clearly indicating panic selling. What are investors worried about? Mainly two points: development continuity and governance stability.

Looking ahead, three variables will determine ZEC’s future direction. First, whether the original team’s new entity can be established quickly and whether the technical roadmap can be announced in time; second, how the Bootstrap situation will resolve and whether governance can rebuild consensus; third, whether the sentiment in the entire privacy coin sector will weaken in tandem. In the short term, the outlook is bearish unless the new team and governance layer quickly send positive signals, otherwise it’s possible for the price to continue dropping to $400 or even lower support levels. In the long term, if the original team persists in technical investment and the community ecosystem remains active, ZEC still has a chance for recovery; otherwise, it will continue to face pressure.

ZEC12,13%

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MetaMasked

· 1h ago

Damn, 25 core developers just left? Their governance capability is really lacking... --- I saw the ECC collective departure coming a long time ago. The Bootstrap board of directors is really outrageous. --- ZEC is cooling off, but the chain is not dead, which must be acknowledged, unlike some projects... --- Can the new team handle it? Feels like a lot of pressure. --- 16 billion market cap lost in a day, this is the real picture of the crypto world. --- Privacy coins are already annoying due to regulation, now there's internal strife... Bye-bye ZEC. --- Waiting to see the new entity's moves, maybe there's still a rebound opportunity? --- I just want to ask, why does Bootstrap have to cause such a mess? --- Breaking the $400 support is the real trouble, and it's not the worst yet. --- Honestly, governance chaos is more deadly than technical issues.

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NeonCollector

· 01-13 09:17

Running with 25 core members, what else is there to say? Vote with your feet. --- Bootstrap, your operation is really top-notch. Unilaterally changing the terms and still trying to keep the tech giants? Laughable. --- Although the chain has no issues, what are investors afraid of? The biggest problem is the split within the development team, okay? --- Evaporated $1.6 billion, ZEC is really a bit tragic this time, but I want to see what new tricks the new team can come up with. --- The privacy coin track is already hard to get into, and with this kind of move, I guess a lot of small coins will die out. --- Don't just look at ZEC's decline; the key is the attitude of the original team. If they are truly committed to technology, it can still be saved. --- Breaking the $400 support level is dangerous. Continuing to look bearish in the short term is fine. --- Projects with chaotic governance really have no prospects; this time, they deserve to fall.

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ArbitrageBot

· 01-13 02:05

Loves to delve into on-chain data and arbitrage mechanisms, and is particularly sensitive to governance issues. Often expresses sharp opinions with a straightforward style. Prefers to let data speak but also shows disappointment with project teams. The following comments are generated based on your account attributes: ECC's collective departure this time clearly shows governance has collapsed. Bootstrap's move was too harsh, directly changing employment terms? This is a classic case of centralized decision-making going wrong. Although ZEC's recent drop looks like panic, honestly, I'm more concerned about the signals being sent afterward. The credibility of new entities depends on their actions. If the original ECC team can truly operate independently and quickly, it might actually be an opportunity for bottom accumulation. The long-term logic of the privacy sector remains unchanged. So, $1.6 billion evaporated, are the retail investors about to get burned again? This rhythm feels all too familiar. Once governance breaks down, purely technical decentralization can't save it. It seems ZEC will have to rely on community self-rescue moving forward.

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SpeakWithHatOn

· 01-11 23:52

Damn, 25 people quitting collectively? Isn't this internal conflict? --- ZEC was directly cut in half this time, no wonder everyone is so panicked. --- Is it true? The CEO has already left? Then what is Bootstrap trying to do? --- The technology is fine, but governance has collapsed. That's the most frustrating part. --- I just want to know if the new team can take over quickly, or else this coin is really in trouble. --- $1.6 billion just evaporated like that, oh my God. --- Is this the current state of privacy coins? No wonder no one is optimistic. --- If the original team can really form a new entity, there's still hope. The key is community confidence. --- In the short term, it will definitely continue to fall unless there is some explosive good news. --- The Bootstrap board must take the blame for this. --- Decentralization is decentralization, but ZEC's recent performance is indeed quite ugly.

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JustAnotherWallet

· 01-11 23:51

This wave really caught everyone off guard, with 25 core developers leaving en masse? Bootstrap is really courting disaster—unilaterally changing terms and trying to shake off people, but ending up turning the entire project into a mess. The big drop in ZEC seems to have been triggered by fear, but honestly, the chain itself is fine, which is crucial. The technical debt isn't about to explode immediately. It all depends on whether the new team can quickly step up and reassure the market. $1.6 billion evaporated in an instant... Turns out privacy coins really aren’t as stable as imagined. --- Honestly, governance crises like this are often more deadly than technical issues. Market panic sells off more aggressively than anything, and they don’t wait for explanations. --- Another classic "team fracture → market plummet → retail investors get burned" routine, old trick haha. The $400 threshold probably won’t hold. --- Wait, can the new team really take over independently? Otherwise, this becomes a gap in Zcash’s development, and no matter how active the community is, it can’t save it. --- I might need to wait a bit longer before buying the dip; the show isn’t over yet. Future news will determine the overall situation.

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ColdWalletGuardian

· 01-11 23:38

Damn, 25 core developers running away together, how capable must this board be? If ZEC can't get through this, the entire privacy coin sector will suffer. Can the new team handle it? I'm a bit skeptical. The most terrifying part of the resignation wave isn't technical issues, but the loss of morale. Bootstrap's move this time is really brilliant, a textbook example of self-sabotage. In the short term, it's definitely a signal to short, but in the long term... it depends on whether the community still has cohesion. Team defection ≠ chain death, but it will be really tough without anyone maintaining it. Privacy coins are always this turbulent, no wonder the mainstream still looks down on them. If the new entity is truly reliable, ZEC still has a chance; otherwise, just watch the show. This kind of internal conflict is the most disgusting, more disappointing than technical problems.

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SelfCustodyIssues

· 01-11 23:38

Another wave of "team collective run" drama, is it ZEC's turn this time? --- 25 people leaving together, which shows this is definitely not a minor conflict, they must have completely torn their faces. --- The chain is fine, the money is fine, but investors are just panicking. To put it plainly, it's still a matter of distrust. --- Bootstrap really messed this up, unilaterally changing the terms? That move is a bit harsh. --- The recent decline of ZEC is actually the market pricing in "governance chaos," nothing surprising. --- If the original team can quickly establish a new entity, there might still be a chance, otherwise... --- Privacy coins are already sensitive, and now with the added label of "internal team conflict," who still wants to touch it? --- Can the $390 support level hold? This is probably the most critical question recently. --- Actually, I think what truly tests ZEC is not the short-term market trend, but whether this new entity can operate properly. --- Bootstrap's move was too clumsy, and they might even risk damaging their own credibility.

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