Mediation brief · The ZECsy Grant and Community Conduct

How should the Zcash community address the ZECsy grant and related discussions, particularly concerning inclusivity and the use of public funds?

Sources: forum.zcashcommunity.com (We can disagree about grants. There’s no room for hate)

3 positions4 factual claims checked3 cruxes5 optionsCouncil: 5 models
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Position A

Prioritize Inclusivity and Condemn Hate

The Zcash community and its leaders must actively condemn transphobia and antisemitism, and embrace inclusivity as a core value and strategic advantage, especially for marginalized groups who need financial privacy.

  • The broader crypto community and Zcash leaders have been silent on transphobia and antisemitism following ZECsy booth photos. Source
  • Debates about ZCG funding are healthy, but attacking community members for their identity is unacceptable. Source
  • Financial privacy protects vulnerable people, including those in the adult industry, making inclusivity essential for Zcash's mission. Source
  • The Zcash community needs more empathy, and some negativity may come from those wishing privacy to fail. Source
  • Many Zcash leaders on X (Twitter) are not speaking out against hate. Source
  • Grouping sex work with extreme crimes is an example of hate. Source

Fairness check from this side's view: 9/10

The statement accurately reflects the view that the Zcash community and its leaders should condemn transphobia and antisemitism, and prioritize inclusivity, especially for marginalized groups that need financial privacy.

Jury: 87 · agreement 100%

OpenAI: GPT-4o: 85Anthropic: Claude Sonnet 4.6: 82Google: Gemini 2.5 Flash: 95xAI: Grok 4.5: 85Meta: Llama 3.3 70B: 90

0 up · 0 down · 0 wallet-verified · 0 account-only

Position B

Ensure Responsible Use of Public Funds and Acknowledge Free Speech

Position B is drawn from 1 reply

While individuals are free to express opinions, public funds should not be used for controversial markets like sex work, to maintain broad accessibility and avoid association with illicit activities.

  • People are free to say what they want, and not all critics are Zcashers. Source
  • No Zcash leader has specifically criticized ZECsy for being trans or mentioned antisemitism. Source
  • It is inappropriate to use public funds for sex worker and adult content conferences due to their controversial nature. Source
  • Zcash's strength is its refusal to promote dark market usage, making it more accessible. Source

Fairness check from this side's view: 9/10

The statement accurately reflects the view that public funds should not be used for controversial markets like sex work, aligning with the quotes provided.

Jury: 89 · agreement 100%

OpenAI: GPT-4o: 90Anthropic: Claude Sonnet 4.6: 74Google: Gemini 2.5 Flash: 90xAI: Grok 4.5: 95Meta: Llama 3.3 70B: 95

0 up · 0 down · 0 wallet-verified · 0 account-only

Position C

Support Active and Open Community Representation

Position C is drawn from 1 reply

The Zcash community benefits from individuals willing to openly represent it and interact with people, especially given that many members prefer anonymity.

  • Many Zcash community members use pseudonyms, but some are willing to openly represent Zcash. Source
  • The ZECsy team is respected for their active and open interaction with people. Source

Fairness check from this side's view: 9/10

The statement accurately reflects the view that the Zcash community benefits from individuals who openly represent it and interact with people, despite many members preferring anonymity.

Jury: 98 · agreement 100%

OpenAI: GPT-4o: 95Anthropic: Claude Sonnet 4.6: 97Google: Gemini 2.5 Flash: 100xAI: Grok 4.5: 100Meta: Llama 3.3 70B: 100

0 up · 0 down · 0 wallet-verified · 0 account-only

Common ground

  • There are ongoing debates about ZCG governance and the use of grant funds (discourse-58571-258772). Source
  • Zcash's core purpose involves financial privacy (discourse-58571-258772, discourse-58571-258790). Source

Facts, checked by the swarm

There has been transphobia and antisemitism in reactions to ZECsy booth photos.

“Not only for the transphobia and antisemitism, but for the silence. You know who you are. You may think the ZECsy grant is a bad use of funds. You can think ZCG should be reformed or shut down (I’ve been” Source

Said by position A

Consistent 100%

{"rationale":"The forum post explicitly mentions transphobia and antisemitism in reactions to the ZECsy booth photos, indicating that such reactions have occurred. The author expresses disappointment and disgust at these reactions, which suggests they are significant enough to be noted publicly.","for":["The

OpenAI: GPT-4o: yesAnthropic: Claude Sonnet 4.6: yesGoogle: Gemini 2.5 Flash: yesxAI: Grok 4.5: yesMeta: Llama 3.3 70B: yes

Many Zcash leaders have moved their primary communication channel to X (Twitter).

“Many Zcash leaders moved their primary comms channel to X. That’s where this is happening, and practically nobody is standing up against hate there.” Source

Said by position A

Not checkable as stated

The panel split evenly, so there is no settled side.

OpenAI: GPT-4o: undeterminedAnthropic: Claude Sonnet 4.6: yesGoogle: Gemini 2.5 Flash: undeterminedxAI: Grok 4.5: undeterminedMeta: Llama 3.3 70B: no

Daira isn't on Twitter due to the issues mentioned.

“Daira, for example, isn’t on Twitter for the very reason you mentioned. That’s terrible. You know, we’ve often discussed this at ZCG. We actually have several dozen people who are willing to openly represent the Zcash community and who can” Source

Said by position C

Consistent 100%

{"rationale":"The statement in the quote directly claims that Daira is not on Twitter due to the issues mentioned. The context from the source supports this claim, indicating that Daira's absence from Twitter is linked to the reasons discussed in the

OpenAI: GPT-4o: yesAnthropic: Claude Sonnet 4.6: yesGoogle: Gemini 2.5 Flash: yesxAI: Grok 4.5: yesMeta: Llama 3.3 70B: yes

There are several dozen people willing to openly represent the Zcash community.

“We actually have several dozen people who are willing to openly represent the Zcash community and who can comfortably interact with people in cryptocurrency adoption settings. Even now, there aren’t that many of them. The entire Zcash army mostly hides” Source

Said by position C

Consistent 80%

{"rationale":"The statement claims that there are several dozen people willing to openly represent the Zcash community. The source explicitly states that there are several dozen such individuals, which supports the claim. Although it mentions that the majority of the community

OpenAI: GPT-4o: yesAnthropic: Claude Sonnet 4.6: yesGoogle: Gemini 2.5 Flash: yesxAI: Grok 4.5: undeterminedMeta: Llama 3.3 70B: yes

The ZECsy team is very active and interacts openly with people.

“The team you’re writing about is very active and isn’t afraid to interact openly with people on the street. I have a lot of respect for them because of that.” Source

Said by position C

Not checked

Not checked in this run. The budget stops at four factual claims.

No Zcash leader has taken issue with ZECsy being trans.

“No “leader” has taken issue with ZECsy being trans in particular There has not been any mention of anti-semitism? (the Monero crowd infamously repeats this and I’ve not even seen them chime in) What I did say, was that its” Source

Said by position B

Not checked

Not checked in this run. The budget stops at four factual claims.

There has been no mention of antisemitism by Zcash leaders.

“There has not been any mention of anti-semitism? (the Monero crowd infamously repeats this and I’ve not even seen them chime in) What I did say, was that its inappropriate to use public funds to sponsor sex worker and adult” Source

Said by position B

Not checked

Not checked in this run. The budget stops at four factual claims.

Violence, CSAM, human trafficking, or sex work are not commonly sold on darknet markets.

“I have never seen violence, CSAM, human trafficking, or sex work really sold on any darknet market. That’s a Hollywood trope. Drugs: sure. [Source: I once ran the largest darknet market of its time and sometimes have fun browsing them” Source

Said by position A

Not checked

Not checked in this run. The budget stops at four factual claims.

Practically nobody uses Zcash for payments yet, including on the darknet.

“But why doesn’t anyone use Zcash on the darknet today? Because practically nobody uses Zcash for payments yet. It’s still the very early days of Zcash, and even of cryptocurrency. Up until very recently the user experience of Zcash was” Source

Said by position A

Not checked

Not checked in this run. The budget stops at four factual claims.

Where they really disagree

1. Defining 'Hate' and Acceptable Discourse

Value question

There is a disagreement on what constitutes 'hate' or unacceptable behavior in community discussions, particularly regarding the ZECsy grant and its beneficiaries.

2. Role of Zcash Leaders in Condemning Hate

Value question

There is a difference in opinion on whether Zcash leaders have adequately addressed or condemned perceived hate speech and discrimination within the community.

3. Appropriate Use of Public Funds for Marketing

Value question

There is a fundamental disagreement on whether public funds should be used to support initiatives targeting controversial markets like sex work, and how this impacts Zcash's broader appeal and reputation.

Options

Issue a Strong Statement on Inclusivity

Zcash leaders should issue a clear, public statement condemning transphobia, antisemitism, and any form of hate, reaffirming Zcash's commitment to inclusivity and financial privacy for all, including marginalized communities.

99
36
62
A OpenAI: GPT-4o: 100A Google: Gemini 2.5 Flash: 100A Anthropic: Claude Sonnet 4.6: 95A xAI: Grok 4.5: 100A Meta: Llama 3.3 70B: 100B OpenAI: GPT-4o: 50B Google: Gemini 2.5 Flash: 50B Anthropic: Claude Sonnet 4.6: 40B xAI: Grok 4.5: 40B Meta: Llama 3.3 70B: 0C OpenAI: GPT-4o: 70C Google: Gemini 2.5 Flash: 70C Anthropic: Claude Sonnet 4.6: 70C xAI: Grok 4.5: 50C Meta: Llama 3.3 70B: 50

Review Grant Funding Guidelines for Controversial Markets

The ZCG should review and clarify its grant funding guidelines regarding engagement with controversial markets, ensuring that public funds are used in a way that maintains broad community support and avoids association with illicit activities.

37
98
44
A OpenAI: GPT-4o: 60A Google: Gemini 2.5 Flash: 30A Anthropic: Claude Sonnet 4.6: 35A xAI: Grok 4.5: 40A Meta: Llama 3.3 70B: 20B OpenAI: GPT-4o: 100B Google: Gemini 2.5 Flash: 100B Anthropic: Claude Sonnet 4.6: 90B xAI: Grok 4.5: 100B Meta: Llama 3.3 70B: 100C OpenAI: GPT-4o: 50C Google: Gemini 2.5 Flash: 50C Anthropic: Claude Sonnet 4.6: 50C xAI: Grok 4.5: 40C Meta: Llama 3.3 70B: 30

Support Open Community Representatives

The Zcash community should actively support and encourage individuals who are willing to openly represent Zcash and engage with diverse groups, recognizing their value in broader adoption efforts.

73
58
99
A OpenAI: GPT-4o: 80A Google: Gemini 2.5 Flash: 70A Anthropic: Claude Sonnet 4.6: 75A xAI: Grok 4.5: 60A Meta: Llama 3.3 70B: 80B OpenAI: GPT-4o: 70B Google: Gemini 2.5 Flash: 70B Anthropic: Claude Sonnet 4.6: 60B xAI: Grok 4.5: 50B Meta: Llama 3.3 70B: 40C OpenAI: GPT-4o: 100C Google: Gemini 2.5 Flash: 100C Anthropic: Claude Sonnet 4.6: 95C xAI: Grok 4.5: 100C Meta: Llama 3.3 70B: 100

Facilitate Dialogue on Inclusivity and Funding

Organize a moderated community forum or discussion specifically to address the tension between promoting inclusivity for all users and ensuring responsible use of public funds, seeking to find common ground and shared principles.

80
80
69
A OpenAI: GPT-4o: 90A Google: Gemini 2.5 Flash: 80A Anthropic: Claude Sonnet 4.6: 60A xAI: Grok 4.5: 80A Meta: Llama 3.3 70B: 90B OpenAI: GPT-4o: 90B Google: Gemini 2.5 Flash: 80B Anthropic: Claude Sonnet 4.6: 72B xAI: Grok 4.5: 80B Meta: Llama 3.3 70B: 80C OpenAI: GPT-4o: 80C Google: Gemini 2.5 Flash: 80C Anthropic: Claude Sonnet 4.6: 65C xAI: Grok 4.5: 60C Meta: Llama 3.3 70B: 60

Develop a Community Code of Conduct

Establish a formal community code of conduct that outlines expectations for respectful discourse, defines unacceptable behavior (e.g., hate speech), and provides clear mechanisms for enforcement, applicable across all Zcash communication channels.

92
68
60
A OpenAI: GPT-4o: 100A Google: Gemini 2.5 Flash: 90A Anthropic: Claude Sonnet 4.6: 85A xAI: Grok 4.5: 90A Meta: Llama 3.3 70B: 95B OpenAI: GPT-4o: 80B Google: Gemini 2.5 Flash: 60B Anthropic: Claude Sonnet 4.6: 68B xAI: Grok 4.5: 60B Meta: Llama 3.3 70B: 70C OpenAI: GPT-4o: 70C Google: Gemini 2.5 Flash: 70C Anthropic: Claude Sonnet 4.6: 70C xAI: Grok 4.5: 50C Meta: Llama 3.3 70B: 40

Swarm's suggested path

Facilitate Dialogue on Inclusivity and Funding has the highest minimum acceptability across the positions, at 69.

A suggestion for discussion, not a ruling. Verafy doesn't decide value questions; it shows where the disagreement is and which options each side can live with.

  • 5 factual claims were not checked. The run stops at 4.
All sources (8)