Winklevoss Twins Donate $1.2M to Zcash Developer Shielded Labs

Shielded Labs has received a 3,221 ZEC donation worth approximately $1.2 million from Tyler and Cameron Winklevoss. The contribution will fund core protocol development initiatives for the privacy-focused cryptocurrency Zcash.

The Swiss-based organization announced the donation will support three key projects. These include the Network Sustainability Mechanism, Crosslink, and Dynamic Fees. All three focus on strengthening security, sustainability, and scalability of the Zcash network.

https://t.co/iRx986OwCr

— Shielded Labs (@ShieldedLabs) January 20, 2026

This marks the Winklevoss twins’ second contribution to Shielded Labs. Their first donation in 2023 supported the formation of a dedicated team focused on Crosslink development.

The brothers have maintained long-standing support for Zcash through their cryptocurrency exchange Gemini. The platform became the first major exchange to support shielded Zcash withdrawals. Gemini now supports Orchard, Zcash’s most advanced privacy protocol.

Winklevoss Brothers Reaffirm Privacy Commitment

Tyler Winklevoss emphasized the importance of decentralized development in his statement on the donation. He noted that a healthy Zcash ecosystem depends on multiple independent organizations contributing at the protocol level.

Shielded Labs plays an important role in that effort, and we’re glad to support their work.

Tyler said

Cameron Winklevoss reinforced this position with his own remarks on the contribution. He cited strong privacy as an essential property of sound money.

Cameron also posted on social media platform X about the donation. He described privacy as “the next frontier in crypto” and the point where government and corporate overreach ends.

Privacy is the next frontier in crypto. It's the point at which government and corporate overreach end and your freedom and self-sovereignty begin. @ShieldedLabs is committed to building Zcash — unstoppable private money. That's why @tyler and I are supporting their mission. https://t.co/Y63ynX0TGY

— Cameron Winklevoss (@cameron) January 20, 2026

“It’s the point at which your freedom and self-sovereignty begin,” he wrote. The brothers recently launched the Cypherpunk DAT, further demonstrating their commitment to cypherpunk values.

Donation Arrives Amid Zcash Governance Turmoil

The substantial contribution comes during a period of organizational upheaval in the Zcash ecosystem. In January 2026, the entire Electric Coin Company team departed from Bootstrap, the nonprofit supporting Zcash.

CEO Josh Swihart announced the split and confirmed plans to establish a new company. He stated the team was “constructively discharged” by four Bootstrap board members.

Over the past few weeks, it's become clear that the majority of Bootstrap board members (a 501(c)(3) nonprofit created to support Zcash by governing the Electric Coin Company), specifically Zaki Manian, Christina Garman, Alan Fairless, and Michelle Lai (ZCAM), have moved into…

— Josh Swihart 🛡 (@jswihart) January 7, 2026

Swihart identified Zaki Manian, Christina Garman, Alan Fairless, and Michelle Lai as responsible. He claimed they had “moved into clear misalignment with the mission of Zcash.”

The terms of our employment were changed in ways that made it impossible for us to perform our duties effectively and with integrity

Swihart wrote.

He added the decision protects the team’s work from what he called “malicious governance actions.” The departing team plans to continue building privacy-focused cryptocurrency infrastructure.

Meanwhile, Swihart emphasized that the Zcash protocol itself remains unaffected by the organizational changes. The protocol continues to operate independently of the governance disputes.

Shielded Labs operates independently of the Dev Fund and block rewards that typically fund Zcash development. The organization relies entirely on donations from Zcash holders and supporters.

This independent funding model positions Shielded Labs as a separate pillar of Zcash development. The Winklevoss donation significantly strengthens this alternative funding structure.

Shielded Labs expressed gratitude for what it called a “strong vote of confidence.” The organization stated the contribution meaningfully accelerates its ability to execute critical protocol-level work.

The donation also supports collaboration with other contributors advancing Zcash’s mission. Shielded Labs thanked Tyler and Cameron for their continued support of Zcash and its ongoing development.