Zcash, founded by cryptographer Zooko Wilcox-O'Hearn, has resurged nearly hundredfold from a July 2024 low of $16, realizing the privacy-focused vision inherited from cypherpunk pioneer David Chaum's DigiCash project. The cryptocurrency represents decades of idealistic pursuit for truly anonymous digital money, tracing back through failed projects like MojoNation to Bitcoin's limitations.