Zcash Grants Pool Faces Rename, 36,200 ZEC Shift
Projects relying on Zcash Community Grants funding should watch a proposed rename and reserve transfer.
Updated on Nov. 3, 2026 in Philanthropy
A draft proposal posted October 31 would rename the Zcash Community Grants pool as the Zcash Adoption Pool, carrying over existing assets and current funding levels. A separate preliminary outline explores moving about 36,200 ZEC from Zcash Community Grants holdings to a network reserve tied to NU7, which is targeted for mainnet activation November 5.
Why it matters
The proposals would change how a large share of Zcash's block-reward-funded treasury is allocated, shifting emphasis toward direct ZEC ownership and transactions. Operators and projects that depend on ZCG grant funding should track whether the rename and the reserve transfer move forward.
The proposed transfer would move about 36,200 ZEC out of Zcash Community Grants' roughly 91,500 ZEC holdings, leaving about 55,200 ZEC. Under ZIP 1016, ZCG receives 8% of block rewards, compared with 12% for the separate Coinholder-Controlled Fund.
The players
Zcash Community Grants (ZCG)
Zcash Community Grants is the grant-making body funded by a share of Zcash block rewards that supports development and adoption projects on the Zcash network.
Daira-Emma Hopwood
Daira-Emma Hopwood is a Zcash community contributor and author of the draft proposal to rename the grants pool as the Zcash Adoption Pool.
The details
The draft from Daira-Emma Hopwood would rename the grant program ZAP Grants and the committee the ZAP Committee, with existing ZCG assets and current funding levels and duration carried over. The preliminary outline from Zcash Community Grants explores transferring part of its holdings into the Network Sustainability Mechanism, a reserve for future miner rewards that is part of the NU7 upgrade. The outline estimates that the transfer combined with reduced future grant allocations would direct about 98,000 ZEC toward future block rewards.
Timeline
October 29: Zcash Community Grants posted its preliminary funding outline.
October 30: The Adoption Pool draft was created.
October 31: The draft was posted to the community forum.
November 5: NU7 is targeted for mainnet activation.
Market Landscape
The proposals sit within the funding framework fixed by ZIP 1016, which gives Zcash Community Grants 8% of block rewards and a separate Coinholder-Controlled Fund 12%. Moving reserves into the NU7 Network Sustainability Mechanism would redirect part of that treasury toward future miner rewards rather than grants.
Projects that rely on Zcash Community Grants funding should watch whether the rename and the reserve transfer advance, since both would change the size and purpose of the grant pool. Operators evaluating grant-dependent plans should factor in a possible shift toward direct ZEC ownership and reduced future grant allocations.
The takeaway
The core insight is that the proposals would redirect a large share of grant treasury from grants toward block-reward reserves, changing the funding base for ecosystem projects. Teams should review the ZIP drafts and the NU7 activation status on November 5 before adjusting their funding assumptions.
What happens next
NU7 is targeted for mainnet activation on November 5, the date by which the reserve mechanism it includes would be in effect if adopted.
Further reading
Explore more on how funds are directed in the Philanthropy section.
