Zcash Shielded News is a community article format based on the weekly Zcash Ecosystem Digest Newsletter.
Providing insight on current events and informing the community about important news in the Zcash ecosystem.
Check out the best Highlights below!
📅 Subscribe to the Zcash Event Calendar!
Fact of the Week
Double spending is when someone tries to use the same coins more than once, basically attempting to “pay twice” with the same funds.
In Zcash, this is prevented through consensus rules, transaction validation, and cryptographic checks that make sure each coin or note can only be spent once. Security teams and node developers help protect the network by reviewing protocol changes, fixing vulnerabilities, testing edge cases, and monitoring how nodes handle unusual or malicious transactions.
📩 In today’s edition: 🦓 Zebra 5.0.0, NU6.2, and the Orchard Circuit Fix• ZF released Zebra 5.0.0 with support for NU6.2 and the Orchard circuit fix, bringing important consensus updates and security improvements for Zcash node operators. 🗳️ Expanding the June 2026 ZCAP• ZF opened a new call for eligible community members to join ZCAP ahead of the ZCG Election and NU7 sentiment polling, aiming to make the panel more representative and community-driven. 🗺️ ZecMap is Live• ZecMap launched as a global, community-verified map of businesses accepting Zcash, helping users discover real-world places where they can spend ZEC. 👥 ZCG Meeting Minutes 05/25/2026• ZCG reviewed a new round of grant proposals, approving the Cypherpunk Policy Dinner, partially approving Zcash Arabia, declining several proposals, and keeping multiple technical and ecosystem grants under review. 🇧🇷 Zcon Voices 2• Zcon Voices returned to Brazil after three years, bringing Zcash contributors, crypto builders, educators, and community members together at FIAP Paulista for a full day of talks and networking. 🌉 Hello from Red-Bridge• Kit shared a new update on red·bridge, a decentralized bridge backed by ZCG and the Avalanche Foundation that aims to connect Zcash with DeFi through ZEC.rbr while keeping a 1:1 path back to native ZE
Zebra 5.0.0, NU6.2, and the Orchard Circuit Fix
ZF recently released Zebra 4.5.3 and Zebra 5.0.0 in response to a critical bug in the Orchard Action circuit, part of Zcash’s shielded transaction system.
The issue was discovered on Friday, May 29, by Taylor Hornby, an independent security researcher conducting protocol audit work on behalf of Shielded Labs. Taylor responsibly disclosed the vulnerability to ZODL core engineers, who confirmed the issue within hours and began preparing a coordinated fix.
The bug was a soundness vulnerability in Orchard’s zero-knowledge proof circuit. In simple terms, this means the system could potentially accept something it should reject. If exploited, it could have allowed invalid state transitions inside the Orchard pool, potentially enabling double-spending within Orchard. However, Zcash’s turnstile mechanism protected the total $ZEC supply, meaning the bug could not be used to inflate the supply.
To protect the network while the permanent fix was being prepared, Zebra 4.5.3 introduced an emergency soft fork at Mainnet block height 3,363,426. This temporarily disabled Orchard actions, causing the network to reject transactions and blocks containing Orchard activity.
The permanent fix came with Zebra 5.0.0, which activated the NU6.2 network upgrade at Mainnet block height 3,364,600. NU6.2 re-enabled Orchard using the corrected circuit and added consensus changes that permanently close the vulnerability.
The most important point: the vulnerability was caught before any known exploitation occurred. There is no evidence of unauthorized value creation, Zcash’s total supply remained intact, user privacy was not affected, and Sapling and transparent transactions continued operating normally throughout the incident.
All Zebra node operators should upgrade to Zebra 5.0.0 as soon as possible. Operators who cannot immediately upgrade to 5.0.0 should use Zebra 4.5.3 to remain on the correct chain.
This was a rapid, coordinated security response involving researchers, protocol engineers, miners, node operators, exchanges, wallet providers, and infrastructure teams across the Zcash ecosystem.
Special thanks go to Taylor Hornby for discovering and responsibly disclosing the issue, to Shielded Labs for supporting the research, and to the engineers and ecosystem participants who helped protect the network.
Expanding the June 2026 ZCAP
If you’re new to the Zcash ecosystem or are not yet part of ZCAP, this update is for you. 🫵
The Zcash Foundation is inviting eligible community members to volunteer for the Zcash Community Advisory Panel (ZCAP) ahead of the upcoming ZCG Election and NU7 Sentiment Polling, opening June 11.
ZCAP is a community advisory group with nearly 200 members from across the Zcash ecosystem. It helps elect community-selected members of the Zcash Community Grants (ZCG) committee, informs Zcash priorities, and reflects community sentiment on important decisions.
To join ZCAP, community members must meet at least one eligibility requirement, such as contributing to Zcash development, authoring a ZIP, leading a significant Zcash project, completing more than 50% of a ZCG grant, serving on the ZCG committee, or earning active-participant status on the Zcash Community Forum.
The goal is to make ZCAP more independent, representative, and resistant to Sybil attacks. The deadline to join before the next poll is Monday, June 8..
If you’re interested, join us!
ZecMap is Live
Here’s an interesting update for global ZEC adoption: ZecMap is now live.
Created by community member Batuhan and his team, ZecMap is a global map that helps people find businesses accepting Zcash, from cafés and restaurants to stores and services. The idea is simple: make it easier for users to discover where they can actually spend ZEC in the real world.
In a recent announcement CipherPay-approved integration guides and resources are coming soon to the site making it easier than ever for businesses to start accepting ZEC.
”Zcash is becoming more accessible for physical businesses worldwide.”
The platform is privacy-first and community-driven. Anyone can help grow the map by adding businesses, while community verification helps keep the information reliable.
44 Replies · 95 Reposts · 619 Likes
Adding a business takes about one minute, and mobile apps for Android and iOS are planned next.
ZecMap is a practical step toward making Zcash more useful, visible, and accessible around the world.
Check it out :) zecmap.com
Zcash Community Grants Meeting Minutes 05/25/2026 — ZCG
Approved 🟢
Cypherpunk Policy Dinner - $25,000
- Zcash-branded policy dinner in Washington, DC, focused on privacy advocacy and ecosystem visibility.
Zcash Arabia (May to September 2026) - $20,000
- MENA-focused Zcash education and community initiative. ZCG approved Milestone 1 for $4,000, while rejecting the rest of the grant.
Declined 🔴
Rore UI engine in rust - $50,000
- Rust-based, GPU-rendered UI framework aimed at replacing Electron-style desktop tooling.
- WalletConnect v2 support for Zcash, meant to connect wallets with dApps.
BLINK: Bluetooth-Powered, Privacy-Preserving Payment Infrastructure for Emerging Markets - $100,000
- Mobile payments concept using Bluetooth discovery and shielded ZEC for merchants in Nigeria.
- Light-client SDK and web wallet concept inspired by future Zcash sync improvements.
Zcash CIS Educational Media Initiative 2026 - $9,000
- Russian-language education and media campaign for Zcash content distribution.
Zcash MCP Server For AI Agent Integration - $20,000
- MCP server concept for letting AI agents interact with Zcash wallets and transactions.
Khalani: Reducing ZEC Cross-Chain Dependency with a Second Intent-Based Rail - $45,000
- Second cross-chain intent rail for transparent ZEC.
Under Review 🟡
Formal Verification of Halo 2 in Lean 4 - $201,600
- 18-month effort to formally verify Zcash’s Orchard protocol and Halo 2 circuits using Lean 4.
Feature Branch Testnet and Compatible Developer Tooling - $412,410
- Dedicated testnet for NU7-deferred features like ZSA and NSM, plus compatible developer tooling.
Incrypted Educational content in CIS region - $5,000
- CIS-focused education campaign with localized articles and an AMA.
- Human-readable names for Zcash payments, designed to improve UX while keeping privacy in mind.
Zcash Privacy Capsule - $46,400
- Client-side encrypted vault using Zcash memo anchoring for timestamping, sealed capsules, and time-based release.
Cross-Implementation ZIP Conformance Test Suite - $45,000
- Test suite for core ZIPs, including thousands of test vectors and cross-language tooling.
Zcash Shielded-Identity Adapter - $50,000
- Rust adapter connecting Zcash shielded keys to encrypted AI memory identity systems.
Zcon Voices 2
After three years since its first edition, Zcon Voices came back stronger than ever.
While the first edition took place at the Museum of Tomorrow in Rio de Janeiro, Zcon Voices 2 found a new home at FIAP | Paulista in São Paulo, bringing together Zcash contributors, crypto enthusiasts, builders, educators, and community members for a full day of talks and networking.
The event featured 10 speakers covering educational and well-structured topics across crypto, Web3, privacy, communities, product development, RWAs, and Zcash:
Castaneda — COO & Founder, Oxus Finance
Changing World: Why Are We in Chaos?Ana Westfal — HOUS3 Product Growth Lead
From Corporate to Crypto: Lessons and Mindsets from a Real TransitionVini B — NEAR
Privacy on NEARCamila Nikolaus — Head of Crypto & Web3 Products
Building Digital Products in the New EconomyMarcos Lustosa — Dipcoin Marketing Manager
From Corporate to Crypto: Lessons and Mindsets from a Real TransitionCrypto Sincero — ID Labs Founder
Web3 Basics: Understanding AirdropsMarcos Crivelaro — Professor at FIAP, IFSP, Faetec SP, and MUST University
RWA: The New Global Infrastructure of CapitalMichael2xL & Amandita
Introduction to ZcashPedro “Kuka” — Superteam Brazil Lead
How Solana Is Building Its Ecosystem in BrazilLuiz Lemos — Co-Founder, OffChain Brazil
Human Logistics: How Communities Own the “Last Mile” of the Market
Overall, Zcon Voices 2 was a strong signal that the Brazilian Zcash community is active, growing, and building bridges with the wider crypto ecosystem.
Curious to see what happened? Check out the posts on Zcash Brazil’s X account or watch the livestream published on the channel.
Onward! 👏
**Hello from Red-Bridge
**
On May 25, Kit shared a new update on the Zcash Community Forum about red·bridge, a decentralized bridge being built to connect Zcash with the wider crypto ecosystem.
Backed by Zcash Community Grants and the Avalanche Foundation, the project is expected to launch across Q3 and Q4 of 2026.
The main idea is to wrap Zcash-native ZEC from the Orchard pool into ZEC.rbr, a standard ERC20 token, while keeping a guaranteed 1:1 path back to native ZEC. It is not meant to be another swap service, but a more reliable way to bring ZEC into DeFi.
The team is prioritizing stability over speed. While NEAR Intents is fast, red·bridge is being designed to be slower but steadier, especially during volatile market conditions. The two are expected to complement each other rather than compete.
The update also introduced the RBR Association, a Swiss association based in Zug, created to support the bridge’s development, decentralization, security, education, and adoption.
Next steps include guardian/validator node participation, optional donations, airdrops, testnets, and more updates as launch gets closer.
We created a Discord channel for more conversations about Red-Bridge. If you’re interested, here’s the link.
ZecHub DAO Proposals
Zcash India — $4,800 | June to August 2026 - Approved 🟢
- Funding request for three more months of Zcash India growth, including community events, developer onboarding, Hindi content, university workshops, and hackathon promotion ahead of Devcon 8 in Mumbai.
Remove Inactive Members - Approved 🟢
- The DAO reaffirmed active membership participation, with 23 members voting Yes. As a result, Wizard, Jay, Tokidoki, and decentralistdan will be removed from the DAO, while remaining free to re-apply in the future.
Zcash East Africa (June-July 2026) — $2,960 - Approved 🟢
- Two-month funding request to grow Zcash awareness in East Africa through educational content, Swahili translations, community meetups, university workshops, bounties, and regional outreach around financial privacy.
Zcash Korean Global Ambassador — $3,000 - Approved 🟢
- Q3 funding request to expand Zcash Korea through a dual-ambassador model, focusing on Korean-language education, community growth, shielded wallet onboarding, translations, campaigns, and developer outreach.
NU7 Education Content – $2,000 - Five Wiki Pages - Rejected 🔴
- Funding request to create five ZecHub wiki pages covering NU7, ZSAs, Project Tachyon, zcashd → Z3 migration, and developer guidance before mainnet activation.
ZecHub Wiki – SEO & Performance Improvements - $1,000 - Rejected 🔴
- One-week funding request to improve ZecHub Wiki visibility through unique page metadata, a proper XML sitemap, canonical tags, Schema.org structured data, and optimized WebP images.
ZecHub Social Media Management & Content — $3,105 (Under Review) 🟡
- Three-month funding request to manage and grow ZecHub’s TikTok and Instagram through 48 short-form videos, monthly content calendars, performance reports, community engagement, and consistent educational content about Zcash and financial privacy.