Zcash Activates Ironwood Upgrade to Secure Private Transactions

Zcash has activated its Ironwood network upgrade to strengthen the security of private transactions and ensure the integrity of its circulating ZEC supply.

The Ironwood NU6.3 upgrade went live at block height 3,428,143 on Tuesday, introducing a new shielded pool designed to prevent a critical soundness vulnerability discovered in Orchard, Zcash's previous shielded pool.

Security researcher Taylor Hornby privately disclosed the vulnerability on May 29, and despite no evidence of exploitation or user funds being affected, the issue meant observers couldn't definitively determine whether counterfeit ZEC was created due to the private nature of Orchard transactions.

The new Ironwood shielded pool addresses this issue by restricting the original Orchard pool, with new funds no longer entering Orchard, while existing funds must pass through a 'turnstile' before entering Ironwood. This creates an independently auditable boundary between Orchard and the new pool.