Bitcoin mining pool operator Foundry Digital plans to launch a US-based Zcash mining pool next month, providing institutional and publicly traded miners with a mining platform built around compliance reviews, reporting standards, and operational controls. Foundry CEO Mike Colyer stated that Zcash has evolved into an institutional-grade asset, but its mining infrastructure has lagged behind. He pointed out that institutional and publicly traded miners seeking Zcash exposure previously lacked dedicated US-based compliance infrastructure. The pool will implement KYC and anti-money laundering compliance reviews for participants, and mining rewards will be distributed through transparent Zcash addresses rather than hidden addresses, using the PPLNS payment model with no minimum hashrate requirement. Privacy coins have recently regained market attention, with ZEC rising over 670% in the past 12 months, XMR rising 72%, and DASH rising 51% over the same period. Following the Bitcoin halving in 2024, mining profitability tightened, with the price of hashrate dropping from over $60 per PH to $30. Several large mining companies began exploring other Proof-of-Work (PoW) networks to diversify their revenue streams. Colyer stated that this move was not primarily driven by declining Bitcoin profits; Foundry's Bitcoin mining business remains robust, and the company is currently focused on both the Bitcoin and Zcash chains.