Zcash Sets July 28 Launch Date for Ironwood Network Upgrade

Zcash’s Ironwood network upgrade is scheduled to go live on July 28, addressing a bug discovered in May within the blockchain’s main private transaction pool, known as Orchard. The upgrade will shut down the current Orchard pool, block further activity within it, and introduce a new private pool to replace it.

Migration Process May Reveal Bug Exploitation

Funds moving out of Orchard will pass through an accounting checkpoint before entering the new Ironwood pool, a process that could help determine whether any counterfeit ZEC tokens were ever created through the earlier vulnerability. Zcash core developer Sean Bowe confirmed the mainnet activation height has been finalized, setting the launch for approximately 8 a.m. EST on July 28.

Timeline Pushed Back for Preparation

The upgrade was originally targeted for July 21, but developers pushed the date back after Shielded Labs raised concerns that exchanges, wallets and mining pools needed more time to prepare their systems. Shielded Labs previously noted that as users migrate funds to the new pool, anyone holding counterfeit tokens would face a difficult choice between risking exposure or losing access to those funds permanently.

Price Recovery Continues

ZEC dropped sharply, falling roughly 50% after the Orchard bug was disclosed in early June. The token has since partially recovered and was trading near $492 at the time of reporting. Separately, Zcash also passed a key milestone this week, with more than 80% of its total 21 million token supply now in circulation.