Zcash Community Divided Over $550,000 Adult Outreach Grant

The Zcash community is divided following the approval of a $550,000 community grant aimed at promoting the privacy-focused cryptocurrency within the adult entertainment industry, according to CryptoNews.

Zcash Community Grants approved the revised proposal submitted by Mylo Bennett and the ZECsy team on Aug. 31. The 12-month program covers attendance at five adult industry events, four cryptocurrency conferences, and eight educational workshops focused on private digital payments.

Outreach Program and Backlash

The controversy intensified after Bennett published photos from Exxxotica, an adult entertainment convention in New Jersey, where team members demonstrated Zcash payments at a booth labeled "Mama's Zcash Kitchen." Several cryptocurrency traders criticized the association with the adult industry on X, with one trader stating he increased his short position in ZEC.

Conversely, supporters on the Zcash community forum defended the grant. Backers argued that sex workers face frequent banking restrictions and benefit directly from financial privacy tools.

Budget and Progress Details

Bennett initially requested $588,000 before revising the budget down to $550,000 to place greater emphasis on adult industry outreach. Grant records indicate that Zcash Community Grants authorized roughly $461,500 across the first nine monthly milestones, with an initial disbursement of $45,833 completed on Sept. 1. Funds cover staff compensation, travel, event sponsorships, and payment demonstrations using point-of-sale systems like CipherPay.

In its September progress report, the ZECsy team stated that 20 adult service providers publicly listed ZEC as an accepted payment method, alongside two small businesses.

Key facts

• Zcash Community Grants approved a revised $550,000 proposal for the ZECsy outreach team on Aug. 31.
• The grant covers five adult industry conventions, four crypto conferences, and eight educational workshops.
• Approved funding totals approximately $461,500 over nine milestones, with $45,833 disbursed on Sept. 1.
• Controversy arose after photos surfaced from the Exxxotica convention in New Jersey, drawing trader pushback.
• ZECsy reported that 20 adult service providers publicly adopted ZEC in September.