Foundry Digital, one of the largest Bitcoin mining pool operators, has announced plans to launch a Zcash mining pool next month. The new service will allow miners to work together and earn the privacy-focused cryptocurrency by combining their computing power.
The company says the initiative is designed mainly for institutional participants such as publicly traded companies and financial firms. Many of these organizations lack the infrastructure required to mine Zcash independently, so the new mining pool will help them participate more easily.
Zcash Is Becoming More Attractive to Institutions
According to Foundry’s leadership, Zcash has evolved significantly since its launch nearly a decade ago. The digital asset now attracts growing interest from institutions that value privacy-focused technologies.
Foundry CEO Mike Colyer explained that Zcash has matured into what he considers an “institutional-grade asset.” He also emphasized that cryptocurrency plays an important role in supporting financial privacy.
By launching a dedicated Zcash mining pool, Foundry aims to create an environment that meets the operational and compliance needs of institutional investors.
Foundry’s Success in Bitcoin Mining
Foundry is already well known in the cryptocurrency industry for operating one of the most powerful Bitcoin mining pools in the world.
Its existing pool, known as Foundry USA, currently contributes about 31% of the total Bitcoin network hash rate. Over the past month alone, the pool has mined approximately 4,150 Bitcoin. At current prices, that amount is worth nearly $290 million.
The company hopes to replicate a similar model with Zcash by building a reliable and transparent mining ecosystem for participants.
A U.S.-Based Alternative to Global Mining Pools
Another goal of Foundry’s expansion is to provide a mining option based in the United States. Many major mining pools currently operate in Asia, particularly in China.
Although China has introduced restrictions on cryptocurrency activity in recent years, mining operations there still maintain a strong presence.
Foundry believes its U.S.-based Zcash mining pool can help reduce compliance risks and improve transparency for companies that prefer operating within American regulatory frameworks.
Bitcoin Mining Remains the Company’s Core Business
Despite launching the Zcash pool, Foundry says Bitcoin mining remains its primary focus.
A company spokesperson explained that the decision to expand into Zcash was not driven by changes in Bitcoin mining profitability. Instead, the company identified a gap in the market that it believes it can fill.
In recent years, some Bitcoin mining firms have diversified their operations due to rising energy costs. Many companies have explored new opportunities, including running artificial intelligence data centers.
However, Foundry maintains that its Bitcoin mining operations remain strong and will continue to be the foundation of its business.
Additional Features for Pool Participants
Foundry also plans to provide several additional services for miners who join the Zcash pool.
Participants will receive technical support around the clock. The company will also offer reporting tools that allow users to track mining rewards and verify payouts through transparent records.
These features are designed to make the platform easier to use for both experienced miners and institutional participants.
How Zcash Mining Works
Like Bitcoin, Zcash operates using a proof-of-work consensus system. In this system, powerful computers perform complex calculations to validate transactions and secure the network.
When miners successfully solve these calculations, they create new blocks and receive cryptocurrency rewards.
For Zcash, a new block is produced roughly every 75 seconds. Mining power on the network is measured in “Gigasols per second,” or GSol/s. This metric represents the number of possible solutions mining hardware can attempt while searching for the next block.
Recently, Zcash’s network has experienced growing mining activity. Since early September, its total hash rate has increased from about 8.1 GSol/s to nearly 13.8 GSol/s.
Competition in the Zcash Mining Market
Currently, one of the largest Zcash mining pools is operated by ViaBTC, which controls roughly 30% of the network’s hash rate.
However, Foundry’s entry into the sector could change the competitive landscape. With its strong reputation in Bitcoin mining, the company may quickly attract new participants to its Zcash mining pool.
As institutional interest in privacy-focused cryptocurrencies grows, Foundry’s expansion could play an important role in shaping the future of Zcash mining.
