Foundry to Launch Institutional Zcash Mining Pool, Filling the Gap in Compliant Infrastructure

Odaily News Bitcoin mining pool operator Foundry Digital plans to launch a U.S.-based Zcash mining pool next month, providing a mining platform built around compliance reviews, reporting standards, and operational controls for institutional and publicly listed miners.

Foundry CEO Mike Colyer stated that Zcash has evolved into an institutional-grade asset, but its mining infrastructure has failed to keep pace. He pointed out that institutions and listed miners seeking Zcash exposure previously lacked dedicated, compliant infrastructure within the United States. The pool will implement KYC and AML compliance checks for participants, distribute mining rewards through transparent Zcash addresses rather than shielded addresses, utilize a PPLNS payment model, and have no minimum hashrate requirement.

Privacy coins have recently regained market attention, with ZEC surging over 670% in the past 12 months, XMR up 72%, and DASH up 51% over the same period. Bitcoin mining profitability tightened after the 2024 halving, with the hashprice dropping from over $60 per PH to $30, prompting several large mining companies to explore other PoW networks to diversify revenue sources. Colyer indicated that this move is not primarily in response to declining Bitcoin profits, as Foundry's Bitcoin mining business remains solid, and the company is currently focused on both the Bitcoin and Zcash chains.