Key highlights:
- Zcash activated the Ironwood upgrade on July 28
- The new shielded pool replaces its former Orchard pool
- The new “turnstile” system prevents hidden counterfeit coins from entering circulation
The Zcash network has launched its
The migration is completely voluntary. This means users can decide when they want to transfer their funds.
Ironwood prepares Zcash for future technology
The new update also included a ZIP 2005 update that adds quantum-recoverable notes. This feature was made to protect users’ funds when quantum computers become powerful enough to weaken today’s encryption systems.
Developers said that this does not make the network fully quantum-safe today. But it helps lay a foundation that would allow users to recover their funds when new recovery tools are launched in the future.
Another major improvement in the update is formal verification. Project Tachyon shared that researchers have completed a machine-checked mathematical proof that would cover Ironwood’s balance integrity.
Formal verification mathematically helps prove that critical parts of the code would behave correctly under their intended rules.
Zcash co-founder Sean Bowe lauded the efforts of the development team on the new upgrade.
Soundness of our zk-SNARK would have been great on its own. But a cross-team collaboration has just changed Zcash’s history forever, eliminating all sources of undetectable counterfeiting bugs from the new Ironwood protocol. https://t.co/BUciBdzUJV
— Sean Bowe (@ebfull) July 28, 2026
Source:: Zcash Ironwood Upgrade Is Now Live, Here's All You Need to Know