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Zcash’s NU6.3 upgrade, called Ironwood, is already active: it went live on mainnet on July 28, 2026, at block height 3,428,143. Whether your wallet can use the new features depends on its software support—not just whether an address looks familiar. Orchard holders should review their wallet’s migration disclosures before moving funds, and anyone still running zcashd needs to choose a supported path forward.
What changed in NU6.3?
Ironwood adds a new shielded value pool. A Zcash pool is a protocol area for shielded funds; Ironwood is distinct from the existing Orchard and Sapling pools. The Zcash NU6.3 guide describes the upgrade as introducing a pool designed to strengthen network security and make circulating-supply integrity independently verifiable.
The change also affects Orchard’s role. Under the new consensus rules, new value cannot enter Orchard, and Orchard actions face same-address restrictions. Funds leaving Orchard pass through a turnstile into Ironwood. This is a protocol transition, not a claim that all older transaction formats stop working.
ZIP 229 specifies that transaction versions 4, 5, and 6 remain valid after NU6.3, subject to the rules in force after activation. Version 6 transactions can carry an Ironwood component. Transaction-format validity does not mean that every wallet or node can construct, scan, or process those transactions correctly.
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Will your wallet still work after the Zcash upgrade?
There is no reliable universal yes-or-no answer: compatibility depends on the wallet’s implementation and the task you need it to perform. The official upgrade guide advises users to update their Zcash apps and software. Before sending funds, check the wallet provider’s current release notes for NU6.3 support and the specific functions you intend to use.
- Scanning: Can the app detect and correctly display Ironwood activity?
- Receiving: Can it manage the relevant receiver and recognize funds sent to it?
- Sending: Can it construct transactions under the post-upgrade rules?
- Migration: If you hold Orchard funds, does the app provide a migration flow, and does it explain its timing and privacy implications?
ZIP 326, a draft wallet specification, says an Orchard-protocol receiver exposed before NU6.3 can receive Ironwood funds after activation. That protocol-level receiver compatibility does not establish that a particular app has implemented the scanning, balance management, or transaction features needed to use it.
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Do you need a new address?
NU6.3 does not change the Orchard-protocol address structure. A previously exposed Orchard-protocol receiver may receive Ironwood funds after activation, provided the sender and recipient wallets support the relevant behavior. Address compatibility alone is not proof that either app can scan or manage the new pool correctly.
What happens to Orchard funds?
Orchard holdings can leave the pool for Ironwood. ZIP 318, a draft wallet specification, says a wallet should show the Orchard-specific balance affected, explain that pool-crossing amounts are publicly revealed, and obtain the user’s consent before funds leave Orchard. Follow your wallet’s own current instructions and review its proposed schedule before approving a transfer.
| Approach | Timing | Privacy trade-off | What to check |
|---|---|---|---|
| Immediate transfer | Transfers funds promptly. | The specification characterizes a single immediate transfer as having minimal privacy. Pool-crossing amounts are publicly revealed. | Review the amount and disclosure, and confirm the transfer in the wallet. |
| Scheduled migration | Transfers are spread over a wallet-proposed schedule or handled in the background, if that wallet implements it. | Designed to make transfers harder to correlate; it does not hide the pool-crossing amounts. | Review the schedule and controls. Exact scheduling and background behavior depend on the wallet. |
The specification describes wallet behavior; it does not prove that every wallet offers both approaches or uses identical controls. It does not establish one schedule that is right for every holder.
Does “quantum recoverable” mean a lost wallet can be restored?
No. ZIP 2005 describes recovery for Ironwood-pool notes under its specified protocol design; it says Sapling- and Orchard-pool notes are not recoverable under that design. This is not a promise that a person can restore funds after losing private keys, nor a substitute for safeguarding wallet credentials. The NU6.3 guide connects Ironwood with supply-integrity verification, which is a separate claim from personal account recovery.
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I run zcashd. What should you do?
The official zcashd deprecation guidance says zcashd has reached end of life and does not support NU6.3. It identifies different next steps depending on whether you need its wallet functionality:
| Your need | Officially identified path | Important distinction |
|---|---|---|
| You need node software, but not the zcashd wallet | Move to Zebra. | This is the path identified for users who do not need zcashd wallet functionality. |
| You depend on the zcashd wallet | Test migration of wallet.dat to Zallet. | The guidance calls for testing the migration; it is not a guarantee that a particular wallet file can be migrated without issue. |
Use the current official deprecation and migration documentation for exact steps and safeguards. Do not treat a transaction format’s continued validity as evidence that an unsupported node will follow the current network.
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Are older transactions and nodes still compatible?
These are separate questions. At the transaction level, versions 4, 5, and 6 remain valid after NU6.3 under the newer consensus rules, according to ZIP 229. At the node level, ZIP 258 distinguishes pre-activation deployment behavior from post-activation consensus behavior. A transaction version remaining valid does not make old node software current or operational; for node use, follow official software guidance.
Is Ironwood still the latest Zcash upgrade?
As of October 4, 2026, the Zcash ZIP index identifies NU6.3 as the most recent settled mainnet upgrade; NU7 is listed as planned, not activated. Upgrade status can change, so check the current official ZIP index if you are reading this later.
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