Zcash Co-Founder Zooko Wilcox Joins Cypherpunk Technologies, Privacy Coin Surges
On December 9, 2025, Zcash co-founder Zooko Wilcox joined Cypherpunk Technologies, the Zcash treasury firm, as a strategic adviser. Following the announcement, Cypherpunk's stock rose about 40% to approximately $1.62 per share.
Cypherpunk holds 233,644 ZEC in its treasury, valued at around $100 million. The price of Zcash has seen significant volatility recently, rising from about $50 in September to above $700 in November, dipping to around $300 in early December, and rebounding about 30% over the past week to approximately $430. Despite this rebound, ZEC remains well below its 2016 high of $3,191.
Will McEvoy, Cypherpunk's Chief Investment Officer, commented that Wilcox's guidance will support the development of self-sovereign digital systems and privacy-focused innovation. The firm aims to expand its Zcash treasury and advance privacy technology.
Cypherpunk began embracing Zcash in November, following other leaders such as Strategy, which holds around $61 billion in BTC, and BitMine Immersion Technologies, holding about $13 billion in ETH. Formerly known as Leap Technologies, Cypherpunk raised $58.88 million in a private placement led by Tyler and Cameron Winklevoss.
Wilcox’s appointment marks Cypherpunk's commitment to privacy-focused economic freedom and the ongoing development of the Zcash ecosystem.
