Key facts
- Zcash developers proposed Ironwood, a new shielded pool.
- The proposal aims to restore independent verification of Zcash's circulating supply.
- This follows the discovery of a critical counterfeiting vulnerability in the Orchard shielded pool.
- The target activation date for Ironwood is late July 2026.
- The proposal is supported by formal verification, independent audits, and AI-assisted security review.
Zcash (ZEC) has seen a 45% price increase from recent lows following the proposal of the Ironwood upgrade. This upgrade introduces a new shielded pool intended to allow users to independently verify the coin's supply after a critical counterfeiting vulnerability was discovered in the existing Orchard pool last week. The proposal, put forth by ZODL in collaboration with Tachyon, Valar Group, the Zcash Foundation, and Shielded Labs, is scheduled for activation in late July 2026, after the zcash end-of-support at block height 3,417,100. The development is bolstered by formal verification, independent audits, and an AI-assisted security review.