en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zcash
archive.fo
The Zcash blockchain launches today. The cryptocurrency was developed through a collaboration between researchers at John Hopkins University and a group of cryptographers at MIT, the Israel Institute of Technology, and Tel Aviv University.
The announcement comes from the Zcash Company. People and investors of the company: archive.fo
(Among the investors is Roger Ver, 'Bitcoin Angel Investor', who was investor at Mt. Gox, the bankrupt bitcoin exchange which lost bitcoins in amount valued around $450 million at the times. Ver at one point lived across the street from Mt. Gox in Japan. 7 months before the collapse of Mt. Gox, Ver uploaded a video to YouTube saying there are no liquidity problems at Mt. Gox. Sources: YT: UP1YsMlrfF0, archive.fo
The Zcash FAQ states: archive.fo
"10% of the mining reward will be distributed to the stakeholders in the Zcash Company — founders, investors, employees, and advisors."
"10% of the eventual monetary base goes to the founders. The Founders’ Reward is distributed incrementally over the first four years of mining, so that there is continued incentive and continued resources for the founders to improve the value of the coin."
"Who will receive the Founders’ Reward?" The investors who funded the creation of Zcash will collectively receive 1.65% of the ultimate Zcash monetary base, the founders, employees, and advisors will collectively get 5.72%. "
There's also a 'non-profit Zcash Foundation': "The two biggest single beneficiaries of the Founders' Reward are the “Zcash Company strategic reserve” receiving 1.19% and the non-profit Zcash Foundation receiving 1.44%. The strategic reserve fund will go towards new projects to increase the value of the Zcash Company and the Foundation fund will benefit the maintenance and evolution of the Zcash protocol in the interests of all users, present and future."
It might be nothing, but it's somewhat funny that the cryptocurrency co-developed in Israel is called 'Z'.
And just as a sidenote, just generally speaking, but it's probably quite plausible to assume that something like the Mossad is also involved at places like the Israel Institute of Technology.