The Winklevoss twins have donated $1.2 million worth of Zcash to Shielded Labs as part of a renewed push to strengthen privacy-focused infrastructure amid heightened volatility in crypto markets.
Tyler and Cameron Winklevoss, co-founders of the Gemini exchange, contributed 3,221 ZEC tokens to Shielded Labs, an independent organization focused on protocol-level research for the Zcash network.
Shielded Labs confirmed the funds will support core initiatives including the Network Sustainability Mechanism, Crosslink, and Dynamic Fees, all aimed at improving the long-term security, scalability, and sustainability of Zcash.
This marks the twins’ second donation to Shielded Labs. Their first contribution in 2023 helped establish a dedicated engineering team working on Crosslink development.
Shielded Labs operates independently of Zcash block rewards and development funds, relying solely on donations to advance protocol research rather than consumer-facing products.
The Winklevoss brothers reiterated their long-standing support for Zcash, emphasizing that privacy remains a foundational pillar of sound digital money.
“A healthy Zcash ecosystem depends on multiple independent organizations contributing at the protocol level,” Tyler Winklevoss said, adding that Shielded Labs plays a critical role in that effort.
Cameron Winklevoss echoed the sentiment, stating that strong privacy protections are essential for financial freedom and long-term network resilience.
Despite the positive development, Zcash price action remains under pressure. ZEC has fallen 12% over the past week amid broader market volatility, even after gaining 3% in the last 24 hours.
The token has surged nearly 800% over the past year but entered a bearish phase in early 2026, trading within a tightening triangle pattern on the daily chart.
Sentiment has also been weighed down by internal restructuring within the Zcash ecosystem after several developers departed the Electric Coin Company following governance disputes.
However, regulatory clarity improved recently after the Zcash Foundation was cleared following a multi-year U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission investigation with no enforcement action.
Broader markets remain volatile, with crypto market capitalization sliding back toward $2 trillion as investors rotate toward traditional assets like gold and silver.
Analysts warn that if ZEC drops below the $360 level, the next major support zone could be near $300 unless market sentiment improves.
