ZODL proposes launching a new privacy pool, Ironwood, planned for activation at the end of July 2026 to enhance Zcash security

Odaily reported that ZODL, a core contributor to the Zcash ecosystem, announced it is jointly proposing a new network upgrade and privacy pool, Ironwood, with Tachyon, Valar Group, Zcash Foundation, and Shielded Labs. Ironwood will be built upon the existing Orchard protocol and will further enhance security through formal verification and additional independent audits.

According to the proposal, the entire ZEC supply within Orchard will be migrated to Ironwood via a "Turnstile" mechanism. This mechanism allows anyone to independently verify the circulating supply of Zcash, ensuring that the amount of ZEC in circulation does not exceed the amount that has actually entered the new pool. After the upgrade, the Orchard pool will close to new deposits and internal transactions, only allowing funds to migrate to Ironwood through the Turnstile.

ZODL stated that recently discovered soundness issues in Orchard have been resolved through responsible disclosure and coordinated upgrades. Currently, there is no evidence that the vulnerability was exploited, nor are there any signs that user funds, privacy, or the total ZEC supply have been affected. It is understood that wallets supporting Orchard will offer a one-click migration function after the upgrade, and users' existing Orchard payment addresses will remain usable. The team plans to activate Ironwood at the end of July 2026, after zcashd support ends (at block height 3,417,100), but the specific timeline still depends on testing, audits, and ecosystem coordination progress.