Horizen Launches 1 Million ZEN Developer Program to Accelerate Privacy-First Applications on Base
New York, USA, July 10th, 2025, Chainwire
Horizen, a privacy-focused blockchain protocol established in 2017, today announced a five-year developer funding program allocating 1 million ZEN tokens ($7.4 million in today’s price) to fund applications on its upcoming Base-compatible Layer 3 network. The program will be operated by Thrive Protocol, which manages over $70 million in funding across major blockchain ecosystems.
The initiative marks a significant expansion of Horizen’s commitment to privacy technology development, targeting four key areas: confidential financial services (40% of funding), privacy-preserving AI and machine learning (30%), gaming platforms with verifiable randomness (20%), and decentralized governance systems (10%). Individual projects will typically receive $50,000 to $100,000 in ZEN tokens, with funding released based on verified milestones rather than promises.
The program reflects Horizen’s evolution from its 2017 origins as a privacy coin to a comprehensive ecosystem for privacy-preserving applications. Unlike traditional fundraising programs that distribute funds upfront, the Horizen initiative releases payments only after projects demonstrate concrete progress: 10% upon acceptance, 20% at mainnet deployment, 30% at early traction, and the final 40% after achieving 10x usage growth.
Building Privacy for the Long Term
The timing aligns with growing interest in privacy-preserving technologies across blockchain applications. In a Consensys survey last year, 83% of respondents agreed that data privacy is important to them, with 78% agreeing they would like to have more control over their identity on the Internet. This is particularly important in financial services and AI applications where data privacy is paramount.
Horizen’s approach emphasizes long-term ecosystem development over short-term token distribution. The program draws from previously approved tokenomics allocations rather than creating new token issuance, maintaining the project’s commitment to its 21 million ZEN maximum supply established at fair launch.
The funding program will be overseen by a seven-member advisory board composed entirely of Horizen contributors, representatives from development, community, and business development teams. Board members serve voluntarily without compensation, maintaining the program’s focus on ecosystem value rather than individual gain.
Projects seeking funding must demonstrate a commitment to user privacy and security while building applications that drive meaningful on-chain activity.
The program is scheduled to launch in Q3 2025, coinciding with Horizen’s Layer 3 mainnet deployment. Horizen’s community retains governance control, including the ability to terminate the program through a DAO vote with a six-month wind-down period for projects in progress.
Quotes from the team
“We’ve known for a long time that incentivizing development has been a problem in web3,” said Rob Viglione, CEO of Horizen Labs. “Attracting and retaining talent is tough, especially when the path to sustainable funding is unclear. That’s why our 1M ZEN funding initiative with Thrive is such a big step forward. It ensures that builders are rewarded for their work and the applications they produce. We’re confident this approach will be a long-term win for privacy in the Web3 ecosystem.”
“Privacy takes persistence. It’s not something you solve in a sprint; it’s something you build over time with real teams shipping real products,” said Daniel Jacobs, CEO of Thrive. “That’s why this partnership with Horizen makes sense. The Horizen community’s long-term commitment to privacy fits perfectly with Thrive’s model of funding projects that prove their value at every step. We’re here to help grow the Horizen ecosystem and back the builders turning privacy into a real onchain experience.”
About Horizen
Horizen is a modular privacy-first platform designed to make privacy technology, such as zero-knowledge proofs and TEEs accessible and usable across the web. Originally launched in 2017 as a fair launch, non-ICO project, Horizen is now undergoing a major evolution with the launch of Horizen 2.0, a next-generation Layer 3 (L3) appchain deployed on Base, the Ethereum Layer 2 developed by Coinbase.
Horizen 2.0 delivers performance, privacy, and scalability for developers building privacy-enabled and compliance-friendly applications, with significantly reduced cost and latency.
At the core of the ecosystem is ZEN, the native utility token used for governance, accessing privacy services, and fueling zkApp interactions. With its migration to Base, ZEN becomes an ERC-20 token, improving liquidity, interoperability, and composability across the broader Ethereum ecosystem. For more information, users can visit horizen.io
About Thrive Protocol
Thrive is the first protocol for proof of value (POV), a pioneering consensus mechanism that streamlines the crypto funding process. Thrive’s decentralized network of expert reviewers validate when value is actually created at key milestones, helping to make fundraising and capital allocations more efficient. Thrive partners with leading chains like Polygon, Abritrum, XION, ApeCoin, and Hedera to fund builders who are delivering real impact in crypto.