Zcash Governance Issues Lead to Developer Exit from Electric Coin Company

Zcash’s core development team has resigned collectively due to escalating governance disputes with the Electric Coin Company’s (ECC) nonprofit board overseeing the project. However, the protocol remains unaffected.

In a statement posted on X, ECC CEO Josh Swihart indicated that the entire development team was “constructively discharged” after the Bootstrap board, which governs ECC, imposed substantial changes to their employment terms.

“Constructively Discharged”

Swihart accused a majority of the board, including Zaki Manian, Christina Garman, Alan Fairless, and Michelle Lai, of diverging from Zcash’s foundational mission. He emphasized that the recent governance decisions rendered the team incapable of fulfilling their roles *“effectively and with integrity.”

Despite this organizational upheaval, the Zcash protocol remains in a stable state.

Swihart added that developers are in the midst of establishing a new company to continue their work. This situation has brought attention to the term “constructive discharge,” which describes circumstances where employees feel compelled to resign due to hostile working conditions.

ZEC Price Trends

The resignation of the core team coincides with a dramatic price fluctuation for Zcash (ZEC). Following a prolonged period of stability in 2025, ZEC experienced a significant surge in the latter half of the year, surpassing $200 in October. At one point, it even soared past $600, marking a high not seen in nearly seven years, helping it rank among the top 20 cryptocurrencies by market capitalization.

However, this rally was followed by a decline as the crypto markets cooled off. In the week leading up to the current report, ZEC has dropped nearly 17%, trading above $400 amidst governance complications and broader market corrections.

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