What Is Zcash?
Zcash is a proof-of-work blockchain created from the original Bitcoin code base, and ZEC is its native coin. Its first block dates from October 28, 2016. According to z.cash, a new block arrives about every 75 seconds with a reward of 1.5625 ZEC, and the reward halves about every four years until all 21 million ZEC exist. About 17.03 million ZEC were in circulation as of November 2026. The guide to the Zcash blockchain goes deeper.
ZEC can be transparent or shielded. A transparent transaction shows addresses and amounts on the blockchain, as on Bitcoin. A shielded transaction keeps those details encrypted and is verified with a zk-SNARK proof.
What Is a Zcash Wallet?
A Zcash wallet is an app that holds the private keys to your Zcash addresses and signs transactions with them. The ZEC stays on the blockchain, and the keys prove it belongs to you. An exchange keeps those keys for you. A self-custodial wallet leaves them with you.
Gem Wallet is a self-custodial Zcash wallet for transparent ZEC, and it is listed on the Zcash Community wallets page. On iPhone your keys are held in Apple Keychain, and on Android in Google Tink. Your 12-word phrase restores them on a new device, along with your addresses on every other network in the app, and nobody can restore them for you if the phrase is lost.
Your ZEC Address in Gem Wallet
Gem Wallet gives you a transparent Zcash address that starts with t1. It works like a Bitcoin wallet address:
- Easy to verify. You can check the balance and every transfer of your address on a block explorer.
- Any Zcash wallet can pay you. A shielded wallet can send to your t1 address, and the coins arrive as transparent ZEC.
- Easy to move in. To bring ZEC from another wallet, send it to your t1 address from the wallet that holds it.
What Sending ZEC Costs
You pay the network fee in ZEC. Under the Zcash fee rules, it depends on the number of inputs and outputs in a transaction, not on the amount you send:
- Up to two inputs and two outputs: 0.0001 ZEC, which was about $0.13 on November 5, 2026.
- Three inputs and two outputs: 0.00015 ZEC.
- Each further input: another 0.00005 ZEC, so many small deposits make a later send more expensive.
Gem Wallet shows the network fee before you confirm.
Zcash Address Prefixes
Zcash addresses come in several formats, and the prefix tells you which one you have:
| Prefix | Type |
|---|---|
| t1 | Transparent address, 35 characters |
| t3 | Transparent multisignature address |
| tex1 | Transparent address that accepts coins from transparent addresses only |
| zs1 | Shielded address |
| u1 | Unified address, which can combine several address types |
Data source: Zcash documentation, TEX address specification, and unified address specification, checked November 5, 2026.
Gem Wallet sends to t1, t3, and tex1 addresses.
A Zcash address works on the Zcash network only, so choose Zcash as the network when you withdraw from an exchange. Save the addresses you send to most in Contacts.
Buy and Swap ZEC in Gem Wallet
Gem Wallet lets you swap native ZEC through its built-in DEX aggregator. Routes include THORChain and MayaChain, which swap native coins with no wrapped ZEC. You see the provider before you confirm and can switch to another quote. You can swap ZEC for BTC, ETH, SOL, or USDT, and those coins back to ZEC. The Zcash network fee comes on top, so keep a little extra ZEC.
Gem Wallet also lets you buy Zcash by card through on-ramp providers, with the coins delivered to your t1 address.
Get your ZEC address with Gem Wallet: download it for iOS or Android, or install the APK.
