💡 Fact of the Week
Did you know? Zcash was first integrated into Brave Wallet in March 2024.
Initially supporting transparent ZEC transactions, Brave Wallet expanded to shielded transactions in April 2025, allowing users to send and receive private ZEC directly through the browser’s built-in wallet.
📩 In today’s edition
🔐 Zodl Introduces Vault
• Zodl announced Vault, a new product focused on securing ZEC.
⚠️ NU7 Brings an Important Deadline for Sprout Holders
• Users with ZEC in the legacy Sprout pool are being urged to migrate before NU7 restricts withdrawals.
🛡️ Project Eleven Introduces Strongpoint
• Project Eleven announced Strongpoint, with the Zcash Foundation joining as an initial development partner.
🌸 Zakura Advances Formal Verification for Ironwood
• Zakura reported formal verification progress for its optimized Ironwood prover.
💰 Zodl Surpasses $1 Billion in Lifetime Swap Volume
• Zodl reached a major swap-volume milestone and introduced gift card redemption in version 3.16.0.
🔒 Two Lightwalletd Vulnerabilities Disclosed
• Two security vulnerabilities were disclosed, with $28,100 paid in rewards.
🦁 Brave Wallet Enables Ironwood by Default
• Ironwood support is now enabled by default in Brave Wallet desktop.
🔐 Zodl Introduces Vault
On October 7, Zodl introduced Zodl Vault, a new desktop application designed for long-term self-custody of shielded ZEC. Designed for macOS, Vault expands Zodl’s offerings beyond its mobile wallet, providing a dedicated option for users looking to securely store their ZEC over time.
The product is currently accepting registrations for early access, with beta invitations being released in groups of 100 users. Interested users can join the waitlist through the official Zodl Vault website.
⚠️ Zcash Users Urged to Move Sprout Funds Before NU7
Zcash users holding funds in the legacy Sprout shielded pool are being urged to move them before NU7 activates on Mainnet, currently targeted for November 5. The upgrade will disable version 4 transactions, effectively preventing Sprout funds from being spent through normal transactions.
Although these funds will not be burned, there is no guarantee that a future recovery mechanism will become available. Users with older Zcash wallets are encouraged to check for remaining Sprout balances and migrate them before the upgrade.
🛡️ Project Eleven Introduces Strongpoint With Zcash Foundation as Development Partner
Project Eleven has introduced Strongpoint, a new institutional digital asset custody platform designed to adapt to evolving cryptographic standards, including post-quantum security. The Zcash Foundation has joined as an initial development partner, contributing its expertise in privacy-preserving cryptography and protocol engineering.
Strongpoint aims to help institutions manage digital assets as blockchain networks transition to new cryptographic standards, without rebuilding their custody infrastructure. The collaboration will also help address the specific requirements of shielded ZEC custody, with production deployment targeted for the fourth quarter of 2026.
🌸 Zakura Advances Formal Verification for Its Optimized Ironwood Prover
Zakura has formally verified the zero-knowledge properties of its optimized Ironwood prover using Lean, a mathematical proof assistant. The work demonstrates that the prover’s cryptographic optimizations preserve privacy guarantees, even as performance improvements make proof generation approximately 21 times faster on an iPhone 17.
The verification provides mathematical assurance that the optimized prover does not reveal private information beyond what the protocol allows, under the assumptions of its formal model. The team also tested the correspondence between its Lean model and the Rust implementation, further strengthening confidence in the prover’s correctness.
💰 Zodl Surpasses $1 Billion in Swap Volume and Introduces Gift Card Redemption
Zodl has surpassed $1 billion in cumulative swap volume, marking a major milestone for its in-app Swap feature. Powered by NEAR Intents, the service allows users to exchange supported cryptocurrencies for shielded ZEC and swap ZEC into other assets.
The team also released Zodl 3.16.0, introducing ZEC gift card redemption. Users can now redeem gift cards by scanning a QR code or pasting a link, with the ZEC deposited directly into their wallets. The feature also supports gift cards created in other compatible wallets.
🔒 Two Lightwalletd Vulnerabilities Disclosed, $28,100 Paid
Two security vulnerabilities affecting lightwalletd, a backend service that provides blockchain data to Zcash lightwallets, have been disclosed. The reports resulted in a combined $28,100 in security rewards.
The disclosures highlight ongoing efforts to identify and address security issues in Zcash’s wallet infrastructure. Lightwalletd plays an important role in supporting lightweight wallets, making its security and reliability essential to the broader ecosystem.
🦁 Brave Wallet Enables Ironwood Support by Default
Brave Wallet has enabled Ironwood support by default on desktop, expanding compatibility with Zcash’s latest shielded pool. The update allows users to access Ironwood functionality without manually enabling the integration.
The change marks another step toward broader wallet support for Ironwood, which was introduced with NU6.3 to preserve shielded transaction privacy while restoring independent verification of Zcash’s circulating supply.