Zcash (ZEC) is a cryptocurrency focused on privacy and anonymity of transactions. It was launched in October 2016 and uses the zk-SNARKs (zero-knowledge succinct non-interactive arguments of knowledge) cryptographic protocol, which allows users to carry out transactions while maintaining complete confidentiality of data about the recipient, sender and amount of the transfer. Unlike other cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin, where all transactions are publicly visible on the blockchain, Zcash offers the ability to conduct both transparent and secure transactions, giving users a choice of privacy level.