The Lineage

BUILT BY SHIELDED LABS

An independent Swiss non-profit building the future of Zcash.

IndependentDonation-fundedMission-driven

THE LINEAGE OF PRIVACY

This isn't a startup pivoting into crypto. This is the continuation of a 40-year research program.

1985

ZK PROOFS

GMR Paper

Zero-knowledge proofs are theorized. A mathematical breakthrough that would change cryptography.

2012

ZK-SNARKS

BCIOP Paper

ZK-SNARKs make it practical. Succinct proofs that could actually run on computers.

2016

ZCASH LAUNCH

Genesis Block

The first real-world deployment of shielded transactions. Privacy becomes usable.

2024

CROSSLINK

The Proposal

The next evolution: finality meets privacy. Hybrid consensus for a sovereign future.

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SWISS NON-PROFIT

SHIELDED LABS

Independent.
Mission-driven.
Sovereign.

Shielded Labs is a Swiss non-profit organization dedicated to advancing the Zcash protocol. They are the primary architects of Crosslink.

NOT funded by block rewards

Unlike other ecosystem entities, Shielded Labs doesn't receive protocol funding. Their work is funded by believers.

INDEPENDENT from other entities

They collaborate with ECC and ZF, but operate autonomously. Their mission drives their decisions.

BELIEF-DRIVEN development

They build because they believe privacy is a human right. Not because they're paid to.

Why This Matters

Many crypto projects are built by teams whose funding depends on token price or protocol revenue. Shielded Labs has no such dependency. They build because they believe. When incentives align with conviction, trust follows.

THE BUILDERS

They don't build for attention.
They build for impact.

Some choose to be public. Others prefer pseudonymity. In crypto, code is reputation. Theirs speaks for itself.

Research

Authors of foundational ZK-SNARK research papers

Engineering

Core contributors to multiple top-50 blockchain protocols

Security

Security auditors who've reviewed billions in TVL

Open Source

Maintainers with millions of downloads

Collective Credentials

15+
ZK Papers
40+
Years Exp
$5B+
Secured
Conviction

BACKED BY BELIEVERS

Crosslink isn't funded by anonymous VCs or mercenary capital. The project's backers are believers in the mission of financial privacy.

VITALIK BUTERIN

Co-founder, Ethereum

"ZK-SNARKs are one of the most important cryptographic inventions of the last decade."

WINKLEVOSS CAPITAL

Early Believers

"Invested in privacy infrastructure before it was popular."

ANOMA FOUNDATION

Privacy Infrastructure

"Aligned on the mission of user sovereignty and privacy-first architecture."

What Their Support Means

When people like Vitalik Buterin support Zcash technology, it's not a financial endorsement. It's a technical one. These backers have seen every project, every pitch, every promise in crypto. They chose to believe in this.

This Site

Built by THE ANINO GROUP

A collective of ZEC holders building infrastructure for the hybrid era. Miners, node operators, and educators preparing the network for Crosslink. We build in the dark.

Enter The Anino Group →

JOIN THE CONSTELLATION

The story of privacy isn't written by a few. It's written by everyone who participates. Your place is here.