Cypherpunk Makes $50M Zcash Move – Partners with Gemini for Bulletproof Security

Privacy meets institutional-grade custody in a landmark crypto deal.

Cypherpunk Holdings just locked down $50 million worth of Zcash (ZEC) in Gemini's vaults—proving even privacy coins need heavyweight security.

Gemini's infrastructure now safeguards one of the largest Zcash holdings on record. Take that, 'not your keys' maximalists.

Funny how 'anonymous' crypto still needs KYC-friendly exchanges when the bags get heavy enough.

Gemini’s custody role

Under the partnership, Gemini will provide institutional-grade custody for Cypherpunk’s Zcash holdings, ensuring compliance and security standards aligned with regulated financial institutions.

Gemini’s custody service, used by asset managers and corporations worldwide, offers multi-signature cold storage and SOC 2 Type II certification, positioning it as a trusted vault for large-scale digital treasuries.

The deal highlights a sharp shift: institutions are finally circling privacy coins after years of regulatory cold shoulders. By putting Cypherpunk’s ZEC inside regulated custody, Gemini is pushing privacy coins into a financial system that once treated them like toxic waste.

Privacy as the next frontier

Cypherpunk’s strategy places Zcash at the center of its investment thesis. Created as a fork of Bitcoin, Zcash offers identical supply limits (21 million coins) but adds zero-knowledge proof encryption, enabling fully private transactions.

Tyler Winklevoss compared the two assets, saying, “If Bitcoin is digital gold, Zcash is encrypted bitcoin, digital cash.” He added that as Bitcoin moves toward mainstream adoption, privacy alternatives will become critical hedges against its transparency.

Privacy is the precondition for many of our freedoms. It’s the point at which government and corporate reach end and our individual freedoms and self-sovereignty begin. As our lives have moved online, privacy’s become a rare, vanishing commodity.

That’s why we founded Cypherpunk… https://t.co/PD38Id90pg

Gemini’s broader pivot

The partnership comes as Gemini diversifies its institutional business. The exchange recently filed with the CFTC to launch Gemini Titan, a regulated derivatives and prediction market platform aimed at expanding beyond spot trading.

Following a challenging post-IPO period, Gemini is seeking new growth areas in regulated markets and institutional partnerships. By taking on Cypherpunk’s treasury, the exchange is tightening its grip on the digital-asset plumbing where security and compliance.

Why it matters

As governments tighten control over digital assets, the Gemini–Cypherpunk partnership highlights an emerging countertrend: regulated privacy. It hints at a shift for privacy coins like Zcash, less exile at the industry’s edges, more recognition as tools people may actually need in a digital-first world.

Also read: Winklevoss-Backed Leap Therapeutics to Start crypto Treasury