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- Josh Cincinnati restructured Zcash’s mining rewards to support ecosystem development and decentralize funding decisions through community involvement.
- He launched open grant programs and implemented a multisig governance model to promote trust and developer participation.
When Josh Cincinnati first joined the Zcash Foundation, there was no fancy room, no ready-made team. He was the only person at an empty desk. But in the crypto world, one person with a clear intention can move an ecosystem. That’s what Josh did. He started from scratch—setting up an organizational structure, reaching out to a skeptical community, and formulating a funding system that bypassed traditional bureaucracy.
How Josh Cincinnati Rebuilt Zcash With Trust, Code, and a Little Controversy
Imagine someone starting a restaurant with just a pot and a small fire. More or less, that’s the initial picture of the Zcash Foundation under his control. Josh’s challenge came from funding through a complicated blockchain mechanism.
He proposed and restructured the mining reward system so that some of it would go to ecosystem development. His proposition? 20% of the mining reward would be divided between the Zcash Foundation and Electric Coin Company. Controversial? Sure. But successful? Yes.
Furthermore, Josh introduced a two-party multisig model for important decisions. This wasn’t just about security. It was about trust. While project decisions are usually in the hands of only one entity, Josh encouraged the community to have a say. He even initiated the Zcash Community Advisory Panel, a kind of “citizen council” in the crypto space.
Not stopping there, he also launched a grant program for the zero-knowledge technology developer community. This step allows many independent parties to access funds without having to go through large companies. The grant system is not just a formality, but is indeed designed to be flexible and open—without most of the rigid rules of the traditional funding model.
However, in 2020, he chose to leave Zcash. This decision was not because of a major conflict, but rather because he felt it was time to pass the baton. After building from the foundation, sometimes it’s best to know when to leave. And that’s what he did—without drama, without a long goodbye.
Continuing the Path at Interchain and Mina
After leaving Zcash, Josh did not immediately disappear. On the other hand, he actually expanded his role to cross-blockchain projects. In 2024, he joined the Interchain Foundation, the organization behind the Cosmos ecosystem.
Not long after, he was appointed President of the Board. There, he brought a similar agenda: open governance, transparency in the use of funds, and active community involvement. Josh’s no-nonsense style made him a natural fit in the sometimes jargon-filled blockchain landscape.
Then in early 2025, he was appointed interim CEO and Chairman of the Board at the Mina Foundation. In the middle of the organizational transition, Josh brought the same approach: reduce centralization, strengthen community participation, and sort out internal affairs in a simple but firm way.
One of his missions was to decentralize the management of the treasury—aka the organization’s cash—so that it would not depend on a handful of people.
If we look at the common thread of all his journeys, there is one consistent thing: Josh Cincinnati doesn’t like crypto projects that are just cool on presentation slides. He cares more about systems that work—that can actually be used, that give people space to get involved.
On several occasions, he also criticized the crypto community for being too serious. According to him, the industry also needs a little sense of humor, so that it doesn’t lose its human side.
To this day, Josh remains a respected figure, though he rarely appears on the big stage. He prefers to strategize behind the scenes, shaping the ecosystem, fixing the flow, and occasionally appearing on podcasts to share his opinions on privacy, funding, and the importance of unadulterated governance.
