A Zcash policy group has registered to lobby Congress on three digital asset bills, funded by a $750,000 grant from the Zcash ecosystem’s community grants program. The registration does not show how much of that money will go to lobbying.
Under the Lobbying Disclosure Act, spending figures appear only in quarterly reports, and the group’s first report is due January 20, 2027. Forum records show the grant was approved by a committee that includes the group’s founder and chairman, Paul Brigner, who recused himself from the discussion.
Pretty Good Policy for Zcash (PGPZ) filed an LD-1 lobbying registration effective October 1, 2026. The filing names executive director Divij Pandya as the group’s only lobbyist. It lists the Digital Asset Market Clarity Act (H.R. 3633) and two digital asset tax bills among the issues it will lobby on.
What the LD-1 Filing Shows
An LD-1 is the registration form that the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995 requires before lobbying begins. It is filed with the Clerk of the House and the Secretary of the Senate. PGPZ registered as an organization that employs its own lobbyist instead of hiring an outside firm. It lists a Washington, D.C., address on 18th Street NW.
The filing describes PGPZ’s business as “Zcash ecosystem development, developer protections, and financial privacy.” It selects five general issue codes: banking, finance, consumer issues, science and technology, and taxes.
Under specific issues, the filing names H.R. 3633, the Digital Asset Market Clarity Act, along with the Aligning Digital Assets with Principles of Taxation Act and the Digital Asset Tax Certainty Act. Pandya digitally signed the registration on October 1, 2026.
What the Registration Does Not Disclose
An LD-1 does not report lobbying income or expenses, the offices contacted, or the specific positions taken. Those details are filed in quarterly LD-2 reports. Under the House lobbying disclosure guidance, the report covering October through December is due January 20, 2027.
PGPZ’s grant application says some of its substantive work will stay confidential. It commits to reporting aggregate meeting activity, the issues discussed, and outcomes instead.
How the $750,000 Grant Was Approved
PGPZ submitted its grant application to Zcash Community Grants (ZCG) on August 21, requesting $750,000 for a 12-month term. ZCG approved the proposal at its August 31 meeting.
The meeting minutes record that Brigner recused himself from the PGPZ discussion and that the four other committee members voted to approve it. One member, Hanh, said in the minutes that he had first asked whether ZCG could fund direct engagement with government officials and then concluded that it could.
The application states that Brigner’s role on the ZCG committee would not change. It says he would recuse himself from PGPZ matters if ZCG’s conflict-of-interest policy required it.
On September 18, a forum user criticized the grant, pointing to Brigner’s roles and the time between the application and its approval. Pandya replied on September 21 that PGPZ’s lobbying is for the Zcash ecosystem only, writing, “We’re not here to carry anyone’s water.” He described Brigner’s role as strategic and separate from his own work as executive director.
Who Sits on PGPZ’s Board
According to PGPZ’s website, Brigner chairs the board. He is also chief policy and regulatory officer at Zcash Open Development Lab (ZODL) and a member of the ZCG committee.
The other directors listed are
- Michele Korver, head of regulatory at a16z crypto
- Dan Spuller, executive vice president of industry affairs at the Blockchain Association
- Julie Stitzel, vice president of policy at Digital Currency Group
- J.W. Verret, an associate professor at George Mason University’s Antonin Scalia Law School
The site states that Verret also serves as a director of the Zcash Foundation. A disclaimer on the same site says PGPZ is not affiliated with or endorsed by the Zcash Foundation.
The application states that Pandya served as an adviser to ZODL at the time he applied. ZODL said in its announcement of PGPZ that PGPZ operates independently, with its own budget, governance, and board.
How PGPZ Plans to Spend the Grant
The application allocates the $750,000 as follows:
- $400,000 for operating costs, compensation, and professional services, which may include modest compensation for board members
- $125,000 for back-office support through the Financial Privacy Foundation
- $120,000 for legal, lobbying, tax, and compliance work, which the application assigns to the law firm Cahill Gordon & Reindel
- $25,000 for events
- $25,000 for travel and congressional fly-ins
- $20,000 for government affairs software
- $10,000 for research and communications
- $25,000 for a contingency reserve
The application states that PGPZ does not plan to seek funding from outside the Zcash ecosystem or ZCG in its first year. It also states that grant funds will not be used for campaign contributions or to promote the market price of ZEC.
What PGPZ Has Reported Since the Grant
In a September 30 update on the forum, Pandya reported that PGPZ had filed its federal lobbying registration and that its IRS tax-exempt filing was in progress. He also said the group is holding a Washington fly-in and a policy dinner on October 14.
On October 4, PGPZ posted an outline of its planned response to the Securities and Exchange Commission’s (SEC) proposed Regulation Crypto Assets rule. Comments to the SEC are due October 20, and PGPZ asked for community feedback by October 9.
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