Digital asset infrastructure provider Foundry Digital announced plans to launch a U.S.-based Zcash (ZEC) mining pool in April 2026, marking its first major expansion beyond Bitcoin-focused mining services. The new pool is designed specifically for institutional investors and publicly traded mining firms that require compliance-ready infrastructure and reporting systems.
Institutional-Grade Mining Infrastructure for Zcash
Foundry stated that the platform will be built using the same technical framework as Foundry USA Pool, currently one of the largest Bitcoin mining pools by global hashrate. The new pool will offer features such as institutional-grade reporting tools and structured payout systems, enabling large-scale miners to manage accounting, compliance, and performance tracking more efficiently.
Foundry emphasized that the Zcash project represents an important balance between privacy and regulatory awareness. Launched in 2016, Zcash is built on Bitcoin's codebase but enhanced with zero-knowledge proofs (zk-SNARKs), allowing users to make shielded transactions without revealing wallet addresses or transaction amounts.
Zcash Mining Landscape Remains Concentrated
Interest in ZEC surged in 2025, driven by endorsements from prominent crypto figures, pushing the token price up nearly 600% over the past year before retracing significantly from late-2025 highs. Despite the renewed attention, Zcash mining remains concentrated among a few dominant pools. According to Poolbay, ViaBTC controls 32.5% of the network's hashrate, F2Pool holds about 18.7%, with smaller shares distributed across platforms such as 2Miners (7.4%) and Antpool (4.8%). Foundry's entry could help decentralize the network's hashrate and strengthen overall security.
Ecosystem Development Gets Capital Boost
The Zcash ecosystem recently received a positive signal as Zcash Open Development Lab raised over $25 million to expand development of privacy-focused tools and wallets. For Foundry, the new mining pool represents both a diversification strategy and a catalyst for strengthening the Zcash network by bringing institutional-scale hashrate into the ecosystem.
The pool will be based in the United States, aligning with Foundry's compliance-focused infrastructure model. Institutional mining firms across North America, Europe, and Asia-Pacific crypto hubs may gain easier access to compliant Zcash mining infrastructure. Further details on fees and technical specifications are expected closer to the launch in April 2026.