Shielded Zcash and the Exchange Paradox

I've been in crypto long enough to see cycles come and go. Every few years we pretend to care about privacy again. Then we move back to hype and tokens.

Zcash was one of the few real things. It gave users the option to move value without turning their lives into a public database. That should have been normal by now. It isn't.

Most exchanges don't support shielded ZEC anymore. They say 'compliance,' but what they really mean is control. You can still trade the token, you just can't use the feature that makes it unique. It's like buying a car you're not allowed to drive.

The few exchanges that still allow shielded withdrawals get labeled as 'risky.' But they're the only ones keeping the idea alive. The rest have turned crypto into a bank with extra steps.

Shielded transactions aren't about hiding crime. They're about not having to explain every move you make. The right to silence isn't suspicious. It's basic.

If privacy dies, crypto dies with it. Without it, this space becomes the same thing it was supposed to replace.