Odaily Planet Daily reports that Zcash core contributor ZODL has announced a collaboration with Tachyon, Valar Group, Zcash Foundation, and Shielded Labs to propose a new network upgrade and privacy pool called Ironwood. Ironwood will be built on the existing Orchard protocol and will enhance security through formal verification and additional independent audits.

According to the proposal, the entire ZEC supply in Orchard will be migrated to Ironwood via the 'Turnstile' mechanism, allowing anyone to independently verify the circulating supply of Zcash and ensuring that the amount of ZEC in circulation does not exceed what actually enters the new pool. After the upgrade, the Orchard pool will close for new deposits and internal transactions, only allowing funds to migrate to Ironwood through the Turnstile.

ZODL indicates that the recently discovered Orchard integrity issue has been patched through responsible disclosure and coordinated upgrades. Currently, there is no evidence that the vulnerability was exploited, nor are there signs that user funds, privacy, or the total supply of ZEC have been affected. It's reported that wallets supporting Orchard will offer a one-click migration feature post-upgrade, and existing Orchard receiving addresses can still be used. The team plans to activate Ironwood by the end of July 2026, after zcashd stops support (block height 3,417,100), but the exact timing will depend on testing, review, and ecosystem coordination progress.