The Zcash Arborist Calls are bi-weekly protocol development meetings focused on tracking upcoming protocol deployment logistics, consensus node implementation issues, and protocol research.
This summary focuses on the last call that took place on 16/04/2026
Zebra is improving its core infrastructure with major CI/CD upgrades.
Switched RocksDB to dynamic linking , faster builds
Initial runtime crash discovered & fixed quickly
Clear focus on reliability + faster development cycles.
Release process is being automated.
Manual steps like checkpoint updates & supply calculations are being removed , making releases faster, safer, and more consistent.
Also experimenting with AI-driven testing to catch bugs humans might miss.
Performance & stability in focus.
Testnet sync issues resolved
Multiple PRs open for benchmarks & performance improvements
A new release is expected soon, bundling these upgrades.
A security issue was disclosed in zcashd related to Sprout proof verification.
An optimization to avoid double verification was incorrect
Issue has now been fixed
Risk mitigated after majority of mining pools adopted the patch
Full technical breakdown available via the Zodl blog.
A new stack release is in progress from Zodl, aimed at addressing existing issues across the core stack.
At the same time, steady progress continues on the Alpha version of Zallet (CLI wallet).
Improvements coming to core libraries & Zallet UX:
Support for disconnectable hardware wallets
Fixing transaction state issues (e.g. “pending” vs “expired”)
Small fixes, but important for real world usability.
Zaino release incoming.
The next version includes fixes from ongoing collaboration between Zallet + Zodl, as the ecosystem continues moving toward the Z3 stack (Zebra + Zaino + Zallet) and zcashd deprecation.
Stability & compatibility improvements:
Release candidate with bug fixes (e.g. regtest edge cases)
Better alignment with lightwalletd behavior
Fixes for compact block streaming
Tree state consistency improvements
Ongoing docs overhaul & internal cleanup
Integration testing is a major focus.
Expanding test coverage across Zaino
Work ongoing for lightwalletd compatibility
ZF, Zingo Labs & Zodl collaborating on shared testing infrastructure
All aimed at production ready reliability.
Continued progress on NSM from Shielded Labs.
Recent work focused on refining the implementation, with active PR reviews and feedback cycles currently underway.
Updates expected shortly.
Latest changes are being incorporated, with improvements scheduled for completion and further review signaling steady forward movement on NSM design and rollout.
Crosslink is transitioning into a persistent feature network.
Prototype phase milestone completed (workshop held)
New network introduces seasonal participation (~6 weeks)
Contributors (finalizers, miners, etc.) will be eligible for ZEC-based rewards
Early network issues identified and resolved.
Bug from outdated Genesis timestamp affected difficulty adjustment
Blocks were being mined with incorrect future timestamps
Difficulty stayed artificially low
Fix implemented , new binaries ready and network relaunch imminent.
Incentives + participation model taking shape.
~25 ZEC allocated for the first season
Rewards tied to actual activity (mining, staking)
Payouts calculated via viewing key analysis tool
Network expected to run ~1 month with seamless software upgrades during the cycle.
Grant Application Discussion | MavenRain Formal Verification of Halo 2 in Lean 4 #244
Formal Verification Grant Proposal (Orchard / Halo2)
A new grant proposal explores formal verification of Zcash Orchard circuits.
Focus: proving security properties of Halo2 gadgets using theorem provers (Lean4), moving beyond traditional testing into mathematically provable correctness.
Strong collaboration signals from the community.
Encouragement to build in public (open repos)
Active support from core researchers
AI-assisted formal verification openly discussed as a practical tool
Grant still under review community feedback encouraged.