ztarknet devnet drops within 8 weeks. zcash's $966m shielded pool gets starknet smart contracts and near intents for cross-chain execution. zec down 56% from november highs but the infrastructure ships regardless. programmable privacy for defi perpetuals and lending beats payment rails that only do transfers. ...

Privacy & Anonymity - Increased investment in ZEC's shielded pool enhances the anonymity set, benefiting all users by making Zcash more private [1] - Zcash now holds the position as the largest privacy pool in the cryptocurrency space [1] Market Impact - The specific reason for ZEC adoption (price vs privacy) is less relevant; the overall effect of increased shielded pool usage is positive [1] - Any increase in global privacy awareness is considered a positive development for the industry [1]