Key facts
- Zakura, a new Zcash full node, has launched with version 1.0.0.
- It is a fork of the Zcash Foundation's Zebra node software.
- The goal is to achieve Visa and Mastercard-level transaction throughput of over 50,000 per second.
- Zakura incorporates pruning capabilities to reduce disk usage and offers fast syncing.
- It maintains compatibility with the legacy zcashd client.
- The Ironwood (NU6.3) upgrade, supported by Zakura, will address a soundness bug in the Orchard shielded pool.
Zakura, a new Zcash full node software, has been released, aiming to significantly boost transaction speeds and privacy capabilities to rival global payment networks like Visa and Mastercard. Developed independently by Sean Bowe and Dev Ojha, and funded by private ZEC donations, Zakura is a fork of the Zcash Foundation's Zebra node. The software is designed to handle over 50,000 transactions per second, a substantial increase from Zcash's current capabilities, by employing advanced cryptographic techniques and optimizing data verification.
Key to Zakura's development is its ability to prune old blockchain data, drastically reducing disk space requirements and enabling new nodes to sync in under two minutes. This fast-syncing capability, along with compatibility for the legacy zcashd client, aims to streamline the process for users and integrations. The project also involves advancements like Project Tachyon, which focuses on recursive proofs to reduce verification data, and private information retrieval (PIR) research by Valar Group to improve wallet performance.
Zakura's release coincides with the upcoming Ironwood (NU6.3) upgrade, scheduled for July 28. This upgrade addresses a critical soundness bug discovered in the Orchard shielded pool, which could have allowed for the minting of counterfeit ZEC. Ironwood will implement a 'turnstile' mechanism to cap withdrawals from the Orchard pool, effectively containing any potential counterfeit coins and restoring the integrity of Zcash's supply. The development team emphasizes that their cryptographic innovations are crucial for achieving the desired transaction volumes, as current methods would demand excessive data throughput from nodes.