{"version":1,"id":"alex-bornstein","title":"Alex Bornstein","summary":"Alex Bornstein is an American nonprofit executive and Executive Director of the Zcash Foundation, a U.S.-based organization supporting the privacy-focused Zcash cryptocurrency.","content":"**Alex Bornstein** is an American nonprofit executive who serves as the Executive Director of the Zcash Foundation, a United States–based organization that supports the privacy-focused [Zcash](https://iq.wiki/wiki/zcash) [cryptocurrency](https://iq.wiki/wiki/cryptocurrency) and its underlying protocol.[\\[1\\]](#cite-id-anftc8luom)​[\\[5\\]](#cite-id-9e6d4faf49)​\n\n## Early Career and Education\n\nBornstein holds a Bachelor of Science from Charter Oak State College.[\\[1\\]](#cite-id-anftc8luom) Before his work in the cryptocurrency sector, he held a senior operations role in the nonprofit food-security field, serving as Chief Operations Officer at the Vermont Foodbank from January 2014 to January 2016.[\\[1\\]](#cite-id-anftc8luom)​\n\n## Zcash Foundation\n\nThe Zcash Foundation is the nonprofit associated with [Zcash](https://iq.wiki/wiki/zcash), a cryptocurrency built around shielded, privacy-preserving transactions. Bornstein's tenure there spans several roles across general management, and his work has centered on operations, protocol development coordination, and humanitarian applications of financial privacy.[\\[5\\]](#cite-id-9e6d4faf49)​[\\[1\\]](#cite-id-anftc8luom)​\n\n### Chief Operating Officer\n\nBornstein was Chief Operating Officer of the [Zcash](https://iq.wiki/wiki/zcash) Foundation from January 2021 to January 2025.[\\[1\\]](#cite-id-anftc8luom) During this period he engaged with the wider [Zcash](https://iq.wiki/wiki/zcash) community; in March 2022 he described attending a Zcash Foundation Twitter Spaces session held with The Tor Project and Zcash Community Grants, relaying a remark from a Tor representative named Nick that \"anonymity loves company\" and observing that broader adoption of anonymity tools benefits everyone within that shared pool.[\\[1\\]](#cite-id-anftc8luom)​\n\n### Interim Leadership and Appointment as Executive Director\n\nBornstein took on the role of interim Executive Director beginning in March 2025, before being formally appointed Executive Director of the [Zcash](https://iq.wiki/wiki/zcash) Foundation.[\\[3\\]](#cite-id-cbd5ee4b11)​[\\[4\\]](#cite-id-c667bede58)​[\\[2\\]](#cite-id-b081eb1bf3) The appointment was announced on November 3, 2025, and his profile records the Executive Director role as beginning in November 2025.[\\[2\\]](#cite-id-b081eb1bf3)​[\\[1\\]](#cite-id-anftc8luom)​\n\nReflecting on his roughly four years as COO and his interim tenure, Bornstein reported several accomplishments achieved during that period. He stated that the Foundation had accelerated development of Zebra — a [Zcash](https://iq.wiki/wiki/zcash) [node](https://iq.wiki/wiki/node) implementation written in the Rust programming language — and delivered performance improvements to it.[\\[2\\]](#cite-id-b081eb1bf3) He also said the Foundation had launched the Shielded Aid Initiative to apply privacy-preserving technology to humanitarian aid and cash-distribution programs, and had strengthened its relationships with other key Zcash organizations to encourage a more collaborative and aligned approach across the ecosystem.[\\[2\\]](#cite-id-b081eb1bf3)​\n","categories":[{"id":"people","title":"people"}],"tags":[{"id":"Speaker"}],"images":[{"id":"QmXJjmPygogJDvwYBWWCM2TxhGNDLTDAtbHD4U7r3mEYBo","type":"image/jpeg, image/png"}],"media":[],"metadata":[{"id":"linkedin_profile","value":"https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexbornstein"},{"id":"references","value":"[{\"id\":\"anftc8luom\",\"url\":\"https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexbornstein/\",\"description\":\"Bornstein listed as Executive Director at Zcash Foundation\",\"timestamp\":1789942805243},{\"id\":\"b081eb1bf3\",\"url\":\"https://zfnd.org/board-appoints-alex-bornstein-as-executive-director/\",\"description\":\"Zcash Foundation announcement appointing Alex Bornstein Executive Director\",\"timestamp\":1789948630081},{\"id\":\"cbd5ee4b11\",\"url\":\"https://zfnd.org/changing-of-the-guard/\",\"description\":\"Zcash Foundation post naming Alex Bornstein interim Executive Director\",\"timestamp\":1789948630081},{\"id\":\"c667bede58\",\"url\":\"https://zfnd.org/a-new-chapter-for-zcash-foundation-looking-ahead-with-gratitude-and-focus/\",\"description\":\"Bornstein outlines priorities as interim Executive Director and COO\",\"timestamp\":1789948630081},{\"id\":\"9e6d4faf49\",\"url\":\"https://zfnd.org/\",\"description\":\"Zcash Foundation homepage with mission and leadership details\",\"timestamp\":1789948630081}]"},{"id":"commit-message","value":"Create wiki page for Alex Bornstein"}],"events":[{"type":"DEFAULT","title":"Began music career as an intern at Remote Control Productions","date":"2011-01-01","description":"Internship at Hans Zimmer's Remote Control Productions (music career start).","link":"http://www.alexanderbornstein.com/bio","multiDateStart":null,"multiDateEnd":null,"id":"56c8479c-4bd7-4eba-b459-13cada840fc3"},{"type":"DEFAULT","title":"Served as a music department assistant for the Academy Awards","date":"2012-01-01","description":"Worked as a music department assistant for the Academy Awards.","link":"http://www.alexanderbornstein.com/bio","multiDateStart":null,"multiDateEnd":null,"id":"9fc1c888-3524-47bf-ba8a-4235ad972779"},{"type":"DEFAULT","title":"Released solo album Schematic","date":"2017-01-01","description":"Released solo album titled 'Schematic'.","link":"https://cah.ucf.edu/news/alex-bornstein/","multiDateStart":null,"multiDateEnd":null,"id":"03363040-7c88-4930-ab26-3193abded2c7"},{"type":"DEFAULT","title":"Served as Chief Operating Officer of the Zcash Foundation (start)","date":"2021-01-01","description":"Listed on LinkedIn as Chief Operating Officer of the Zcash Foundation (profile indicates role held beginning around this time).","link":"https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexbornstein","multiDateStart":null,"multiDateEnd":null,"id":"57a0994a-753d-4c1c-b454-425e1d569860"},{"type":"DEFAULT","title":"Participated in Zcash Foundation Twitterspaces","date":"2022-03-01","description":"Posted about listening in on a Zcash Foundation Twitterspaces event with The Tor Project and Zcash Community Grants.","link":"https://www.linkedin.com/posts/alexbornstein_listening-in-on-a-zcash-foundation-twitterspaces-activity-6904866553674760192-ddHo","multiDateStart":null,"multiDateEnd":null,"id":"1c5cc2b8-f306-4c8d-a836-71d65a9ceec7"},{"type":"DEFAULT","title":"Appointed interim Executive Director of the Zcash Foundation","date":"2025-03-01","description":"LinkedIn post states he served as interim Executive Director since March 2025.","link":"https://www.linkedin.com/posts/alexbornstein_zcash-privacy-opensource-activity-7391113916447309824-xRiA","multiDateStart":null,"multiDateEnd":null,"id":"f0e989dd-4146-45a7-9cec-f678ea7394b4"},{"type":"DEFAULT","title":"Appointed Executive Director of the Zcash Foundation","date":"2025-11-01","description":"Announced appointment as Executive Director of the Zcash Foundation in a LinkedIn post.","link":"https://www.linkedin.com/posts/alexbornstein_zcash-privacy-opensource-activity-7391113916447309824-xRiA","multiDateStart":null,"multiDateEnd":null,"id":"6b7c60b9-2ef2-4771-a4a2-9dfd974adbf0"},{"type":"DEFAULT","title":"Posted first article in privacy series","date":"2025-12-01","description":"Published the first article in a series on financial privacy (LinkedIn post).","link":"https://www.linkedin.com/posts/alexbornstein_a-three-part-blueprint-for-digital-freedom-activity-7401669440926658560-7Qay","multiDateStart":null,"multiDateEnd":null,"id":"2cfa9618-79f7-4b93-ac24-6489ab1ff5fc"},{"type":"DEFAULT","title":"Posted second article in privacy series","date":"2025-12-01","description":"Published the second article in a series on financial privacy (LinkedIn post).","link":"https://www.linkedin.com/posts/alexbornstein_the-future-of-money-must-be-private-why-activity-7404185086558003200-yQnj","multiDateStart":null,"multiDateEnd":null,"id":"1122ca18-6c36-458c-bffd-24ae7576f84b"},{"type":"DEFAULT","title":"Shared job posting seeking Executive Director (network post)","date":"2026-06-01","description":"Posted about a job opportunity searching for an Executive Director for a US-based cryptocurrency-focused foundation (LinkedIn post).","link":"https://www.linkedin.com/posts/alexbornstein_executivedirector-techleadership-cto-activity-7474909336067125248-GdpL","multiDateStart":null,"multiDateEnd":null,"id":"c63376ec-8e15-4559-b6d9-04f35a672936"},{"type":"DEFAULT","title":"Posted about Zcash-affiliated organizations hiring","date":"2026-08-01","description":"LinkedIn post listing multiple Zcash-affiliated organizations that are hiring.","link":"https://www.linkedin.com/posts/alexbornstein_multiple-zcash-affiliated-organizations-are-activity-7494094295277162498-PogU","multiDateStart":null,"multiDateEnd":null,"id":"53a64bfd-c201-465e-807f-9fb73eaa7b95"}],"linkedWikis":{"founders":[],"blockchains":[],"speakers":[]},"user":{"id":"0x8af7a19a26d8fbc48defb35aefb15ec8c407f889"},"author":{"id":"0x1E23b34d3106F0C1c74D17f2Cd0F65cdb039b138"},"language":"en","operator":{"id":"0x1E23b34d3106F0C1c74D17f2Cd0F65cdb039b138"}}