We are pleased to announce that Taylor Hornby and Ted Hoffmann have joined the Zcash Foundation board.
Taylor and Ted’s considerable expertise, along with their perspective as community members will enhance the Foundation’s ability to better support and serve the Zcash community.
Taylor Hornby (earthrise on the Forum) brings extensive experience to the Zcash ecosystem, having worked at the Electric Coin Company (ECC) during Zcash’s pre-launch, later returning to ECC in 2018 as a security engineer, before leaving in 2022 and becoming the Zcash Ecosystem Security Lead through 2023. His stated focus is aligning engineering efforts with product improvements and adoption, fostering unity among community leaders through constructive dialogue, and promoting a culture of collaboration and accountability.
Ted Hoffmann (boggerster on the Forum) is a European citizen fluent in French, German, and English, with nearly a decade of experience in cryptocurrency. He’s particularly passionate about Ethereum and Zcash, valuing open finance and permissionless financial privacy as essential safeguards against authoritarian financial controls. He believes Zcash’s privacy features are critical for fostering a democratic society. Drawing on his extensive knowledge of blockchain ecosystems like Ethereum, Cosmos, Bitcoin, and Zcash, Ted advocates for a community-first approach to advancing Zcash, prioritizing effective communication, streamlined technology, robust onboarding, and a transition to proof-of-stake (PoS).
Taylor and Ted’s arrival coincides with the departure of Peter Van Valkenburgh and Amber Baldet from the board.
Peter has been a remarkable board member and visionary. Over the past eight years, his steadfast dedication has been instrumental in shaping the Foundation into what it is today. From boldly advocating for the Foundation’s unique charitable mission to ensuring that our new trademark policy supports greater decentralization of the Zcash ecosystem, he has set a high standard for our mission of building financial privacy infrastructure for the public good. His commitment to privacy, decentralization, and open-source innovation has left an indelible mark on the cryptocurrency ecosystem. As he settles into his new role as Executive Director at Coin Center, we thank him for many years of service and wish him continued success in defending the rights of developers and advancing privacy for all.
Amber’s involvement in Zcash dates back to her time at JP Morgan, where she was responsible for establishing a partnership with the Electric Coin Company that triggered a huge amount of interest in Zcash’s technology. She was one of the first ZF board members appointed based on the community’s feedback, and she has been steadfast in ensuring that the Foundation stays focused on its mission. Her experience in technology leadership roles, and as a startup co-founder and CEO, has been invaluable to the Board and to me personally, often bringing a much-needed dose of reality to our discussions. Her presence on the board will be sorely missed but she will continue to serve the Zcash community and mission as a founding member of the Financial Privacy Foundation’s board.
On behalf of the board, the Zcash Foundation team, and the entire Zcash community, I want to express my heartfelt gratitude to Peter and Amber for helping guide me through the past four years, and for their vision, dedication, and lasting impact on the Zcash ecosystem.
— Jack Gavigan, Executive Director