Zcash opens its fourth-quarter call for retroactive grants

Funding completed work, not a promise

The Financial Privacy Foundation announced on October 30, 2026, that the fourth-quarter round of Zcash's coinholder-directed retroactive grant program was open. Applications cover contributions that are already complete and publicly verifiable. Individuals can submit their own work or invite a contributor to apply. The mechanism therefore differs from a grant awarded to a project that has yet to be built: voters are asked to assess existing results rather than a schedule of future deliverables.

The announcement sets the submission deadline at 8 p.m. UTC on November 13, or 9 p.m. in Paris on that date. It excludes work that is merely proposed or still in progress. This criterion is more than a presentation requirement: an application must let the community understand what was actually produced and how to verify it. Accessible code, a documented publication or a completed service can be assessed on the evidence provided, without their availability implying that funding will be approved.

Two platforms for a visible application

The process begins with the proposal template available on GitHub. Applicants must then reproduce their request in a separate thread in the Zcash forum's retroactive grants category. A comment on the GitHub submission must contain a link to that thread. The foundation says a proposal will not be placed on the ballot without this connection. The two platforms thus serve different purposes: one structures the submission, while the other provides an identifiable public discussion.

A mandatory review period is scheduled from November 16 through December 16, with an end time of 8 p.m. UTC. Readers can ask questions and raise concerns in each proposal's thread. The foundation is then to publish a summary of the applications before voting. For contributors, the challenge is to make verifiable material available early enough for questions to receive answers. Submitting an application and having it reviewed remain separate from actually receiving a grant.

A December vote and payment conditions

The announced voting period runs from December 17 through December 29, ending at 8 p.m. UTC. Each proposal is to receive a separate vote. The call mentions a participation threshold and a simple majority, while promising further instructions before voting begins. These parameters do not allow a result to be inferred from forum reactions. Favorable discussion, nomination by a third party or a contribution already used by the community does not, by itself, constitute approval of the requested funding.

Applications state amounts in dollars, while payments come from the multisignature wallet in ZEC. The announcement also provides for identity checks for grants exceeding $50,000 and retains oversight powers relating to legal constraints. The opening of this round should not be confused with competing proposals to change ZCG's future funding. This is an application timetable for an existing program, whose decisions and payments are still ahead.