Nym partners with Zcash to bring network-layer privacy protections

Nym Technologies said it has received a $150,000 grant from Zcash Community Grants to bring the metadata privacy protections to the Zcash ecosystem.

In a blog post on Feb. 13, Nym Technologies said the collaboration aims to integrate the privacy protections of Nym’s mixnet into Zcash‘s (ZEC) infrastructure, offering end-to-end privacy solutions for Zcash users and addressing data leakage vulnerabilities.

According to the announcement, the integration will involve incorporating Nym’s mixnet into the light client libraries developed by Electric Coin Company, a non-profit organization behind the Zcash ecosystem.

“This effort aligns with our core mission to advance the Zcash network, and underscores ZCG’s commitment to addressing challenging issues related to privacy and security.”

Jason McGee of Zcash Community Grants

Unlike traditional privacy technologies, Nym’s mixnet expects to prevent surveillance adversaries from tracing metadata by encrypting data into identically sized Sphinx packets and distributing them through a network of mix nodes.

Commenting on the partnership, Electric Coin Company CEO Josh Swihart said that network-level privacy “has been a missing piece since Zcash’s inception,” adding that with Nym’s technology, the project wants to “deepen protections” for everyday users.

Initially, Nym Technologies CEO Harry Halpin applied for a $670,000 grant to integrate the network-level anonymous channel into Zcash. However, the budget was later downsized to $150,000 due to concerns regarding budgetary implications, ZEC price fluctuations, and uncertainties surrounding the proposed solution’s feasibility.