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ZEC $1,321 Zcash group registers a Washington lobbyist for crypto policy
Pretty Good Policy for Zcash filed a federal lobbying registration effective Oct. 1, naming executive director Divij Pandya as its only lobbyist.
Key takeaways
- One registered lobbyist. PGPZ named executive director Divij Pandya as the only person expected to lobby on its behalf, effective Oct. 1.
- A $750,000 grant. Zcash Community Grants approved $750,000 in August to fund PGPZ's first year of work.
What happened
A Zcash-focused advocacy group has registered to lobby in Washington. Pretty Good Policy for Zcash, or PGPZ, filed a lobbying registration effective on Oct. 1 and named executive director Divij Pandya as its sole lobbyist. The U.S. Lobbying Disclosure Act filing lists PGPZ as an organization employing an in-house lobbyist, with Pandya as the only person expected to lobby for it.
The registration lists three legislative items as current and anticipated lobbying issues. They are H.R. 3633, the Digital Asset Market Clarity Act, the Aligning Digital Assets with Principles of Taxation Act and the Digital Asset Tax Certainty Act.
PGPZ plans policymaker meetings, policy briefs, congressional events and Zcash-focused regulatory responses during its first year. Its grant application says it will monitor developer liability, anti-money-laundering rules, sanctions, privacy and financial surveillance. In August, Zcash Community Grants approved a $750,000 grant to fund that first year of work.
Why it matters
PGPZ founder Paul Brigner said the goal is to "make sure Zcash has serious, organized, and credible policy engagement in Washington." He said policymakers are making decisions that affect whether privacy-preserving digital cash can exist, be used lawfully and serve the public interest.
The registration lands while the CLARITY Act is stalled. The Senate Banking Committee advanced its version of the legislation by a 15-9 vote in May. On Sept. 15, the Senate recorded a 49-50 vote against invoking cloture on the motion to proceed to H.R.
Zcash is entering a lobbying field already occupied by larger crypto companies. Coinbase's $1.07 million first-quarter lobbying push around the CLARITY Act and crypto legislation shows how central market-structure policy has become for digital-asset businesses.
What the data shows
The filing rests on a few numbers. Zcash Community Grants approved $750,000 for PGPZ's first year. The Senate's cloture vote on H.R. 3633 was 49-50 on Sept. Coinbase spent $1.07 million on first-quarter lobbying around the CLARITY Act and crypto legislation.
Background
PGPZ was launched in June this year, growing out of Pretty Good Policy for Crypto, which was launched in 2022 by Electric Coin Co.
The earlier project held recurring Washington roundtables for crypto policy professionals and organized a congressional briefing on privacy-enhancing technologies in 2023.
PGPZ's website says the organization operates independently and is not affiliated with or endorsed by the Zcash Foundation.
What is still unclear
- A motion to reconsider the Sept. 15 vote was entered afterward, and the reports do not say when or whether another vote will be held.
Questions readers ask
What is Pretty Good Policy for Zcash?
PGPZ is an independent policy organization focused on helping policymakers and regulators understand privacy-preserving digital money. It emerged in June from Pretty Good Policy for Crypto and filed a lobbying registration effective Oct. 1.
Which bills will PGPZ lobby on?
The registration lists H.R. 3633, the Digital Asset Market Clarity Act, the Aligning Digital Assets with Principles of Taxation Act and the Digital Asset Tax Certainty Act.
Who is PGPZ's lobbyist?
Executive director Divij Pandya is named as the only person expected to lobby on the group's behalf.
How is PGPZ funded?
Zcash Community Grants approved a $750,000 grant in August to fund PGPZ's first year of work.
