Zcash Leadership Crisis: Entire ECC Team Collectively Departs Amid Bootstrap Board Conflict

A significant upheaval has struck the Zcash ecosystem as Josh Swihart, former CEO of Electric Coin Company (ECC), announced that the entire ECC team has collectively resigned from the organization. The departure stems from escalating tensions with the Bootstrap board, a 501©(3) non-profit tasked with supporting Zcash and overseeing Electric Coin operations.

According to Swihart’s statement, key Bootstrap board members—including Zaki Manian, Christina Garman, Alan Fairless, and Michelle Lai (representing ZCAM)—have substantially deviated from Zcash’s core mission. The conflict came to a head when the board effectively forced out the entire ECC team by unilaterally altering employment terms, rendering it impossible for the team to execute their responsibilities with integrity.

“Our employment conditions were fundamentally changed, making it untenable to continue,” Swihart explained, emphasizing that the board’s actions constituted a de facto dismissal. Despite the turmoil, the team remains committed to their original vision and has begun establishing a new entity to continue their work.

What’s notable is that while leadership and institutional structures face upheaval, the Zcash protocol itself remains unaffected by these organizational changes. The departing team has made clear they are maintaining their unified mission under a new corporate structure, signaling continuity in their technical and philosophical approach to Zcash development.

The situation underscores growing friction within Zcash’s governance structure, particularly regarding the relationship between the Bootstrap board and the technical teams responsible for protocol development and stewardship.