Zcash vs. Polygon: Can Privacy-Fueled Crypto Guarantee Supply?

A public disagreement between Polygon Chief Technology Officer Mudit Gupta and Zcash founder Zooko Wilcox has sparked renewed debate about whether privacy-focused cryptocurrencies can guarantee their monetary supply remains intact. The clash centers on a 2019 vulnerability in Zcash’s shielded transaction pool, which allows the network to track all value entering and exiting. Gupta questioned if this cap of 21 million coins is verifiable due to a potential bug that could have allowed for counterfeiting. Wilcox argues his system’s turnstile accounting mechanisms effectively prevent undetected manipulation, based on game theory analysis.