I haven't read the Zcash paper, but my understanding of its predecessor could be simplified to: * To "create" zcash, you put a random number into a box that ca

I haven't read the Zcash paper, but my understanding of its predecessor could be simplified to: * To "create" zcash, you put a random number into a box that can't be opened and a proof that you spent bitcoin to a special kind of bitcoin address. * To "spend" zcash, you reveal the random number that you put in the box (to prevent double spending), and you prove that one of the boxes contains that number (without revealing which box it is). Then you can take the same amount of bitcoin from any of the special addresses above.