Zcash completed the Ironwood (NU6.3) network upgrade on July 28, 2026, activating the new Ironwood shielded pool.
If your ZEC remains in the original Orchard shielded pool, the upgrade does not cause those funds to expire or disappear, and there is no deadline requiring immediate migration. Moving the funds into the new Ironwood pool does, however, require a migration transaction created by an Ironwood-compatible wallet.
For Keystone users, the software wallet synchronizes with the network, creates the transaction, and broadcasts it. Keystone keeps the private keys offline, lets you review the transaction, and signs it. You never need to enter your recovery phrase on a computer, phone, browser, or software wallet.
1. How Ironwood migration works
Moving funds from Orchard to Ironwood takes them through the Zcash turnstile:
Orchard → Turnstile → Ironwood
This process does not directly reveal:
- the identity of the sender or recipient;
- the shielded addresses involved; or
- the full balance that remains in Orchard.
However, the cross-pool amount moving from Orchard to Ironwood is public for each transaction.
For example, if you migrate 10 ZEC from Orchard to Ironwood, the blockchain shows that 10 ZEC crossed between the pools. It does not show who sent it, who received it, or which shielded addresses were used.
Migration therefore does not directly expose shielded addresses, but distinctive amounts and timing can reduce privacy.
2. Choosing a migration approach
Migrate everything at once
Moving the complete balance in one transaction is the simplest and fastest approach.
The complete amount will be public as a single cross-pool transfer. A distinctive value such as 1.2114 ZEC, or an amount previously seen in an exchange withdrawal or public payment, may make correlation easier.
Migrate in stages
Splitting the funds across multiple transfers at different times avoids publishing the complete balance as one amount.
Each cross-pool amount is still public, however, and using several transactions does not guarantee that they cannot be linked.
Users who place a higher priority on privacy can:
- avoid exact amounts that have already appeared publicly;
- use common values, such as whole numbers;
- spread transfers across different dates and times; and
- keep Tor enabled when using Zodl.
Wait before migrating
Orchard funds do not expire or disappear, and there is no mandatory migration deadline.
If you do not need to use the funds now, you can wait for wallets to provide more complete privacy-preserving migration features.
3. What Keystone users need
First update your device and chosen software wallet to versions that support Ironwood:
- Keystone 3 Pro: Cypherpunk 3.0.2
- Vizor Wallet: 0.0.39+
- Zodl: 3.8.0+
- Noir Wallet: the latest Ironwood-compatible release
Keystone Cypherpunk 3.0.2 adds:
- Zcash Ironwood support; and
- batch PCZT signing for Zcash.
Version 3.0.2 applies only to the Cypherpunk firmware. After installing it, you currently cannot downgrade to the 3.0.0 Multi-Coin or Bitcoin-Only firmware. Confirm that you have selected the correct firmware edition before proceeding.
After updating, open the software wallet you plan to use and allow it to synchronize to the latest block.
4. Guided migration with Vizor
Vizor 0.0.39 introduced a complete desktop Ironwood migration flow, including guided QR signing for Keystone accounts.
Open the connected Keystone account in Vizor and wait for synchronization to finish. When the account has eligible Orchard funds, Vizor displays the Ironwood migration entry point.
Vizor's migration flow must be able to migrate at least 0.01 ZEC and also needs to reserve the fees required by the process.
In the current implementation, the migration entry point therefore does not appear when the available Orchard balance is below approximately 0.01095 ZEC. In that situation, you can move the remaining Orchard funds into Ironwood manually by sending them to your own shielded address.
Steps
- Open the connected Keystone account in Vizor.
- Go to the Ironwood Migration page.
- Review the migration amount, plan, estimated duration, and privacy explanation.
- Follow the prompt and scan the unsigned QR code with Keystone.
- Verify the migration amount and transaction information on the Keystone screen.
- Sign after confirming the details.
- Scan the signed QR code returned by Keystone with Vizor.
- Let Vizor broadcast the transactions and monitor progress on the migration page.
Vizor may split a migration into several transactions. Funds already confirmed in Ironwood remain available to use while the rest continue through the migration plan.
Depending on the balance and plan, the process may take several hours to several days. During migration, keep:
- the computer powered on and unlocked;
- Vizor running; and
- the network connection stable.
If Vizor closes, the computer sleeps, or the connection is interrupted, reopen Vizor and continue from its recovery page. Do not create a new migration before confirming the status of the existing one.
5. Manual migration with Zodl
Zodl 3.8.0 is compatible with Ironwood and can receive, send, and use ZEC in the Ironwood pool.
Zodl is also preparing a built-in privacy migration feature. It is designed to reduce amount and timing correlation by using standardized amounts and spreading transfers over time, with planned support for Keystone signing.
Until that feature is released, users who need to migrate immediately can move funds from Orchard to Ironwood manually by sending ZEC to their own shielded address.
Steps
- Open Zodl and wait for the wallet to finish synchronizing.
- Enable Tor in settings and keep it enabled throughout the migration.
- Tap Receive and copy your Zcash Shielded Address.
- Add that address to the Zodl address book.
- Send a small test amount to your own address.
- Scan the unsigned QR code with Keystone.
- Verify the amount and transaction information on the Keystone screen.
- Sign, then scan the signed QR code with Zodl and broadcast the transaction.
- After confirmation, tap the balance on the home screen to view the Orchard and Ironwood pool breakdown.
After confirming that the test amount arrived in Ironwood, decide whether to migrate more.
If you migrate in stages, follow this rule: each subsequent send amount must be greater than the current Ironwood balance for the wallet to keep drawing from Orchard.
Users who do not need to migrate immediately and place a higher priority on privacy can wait for Zodl's built-in migration feature.
Important note for staged migration in Zodl
Zodl spends funds already in the Ironwood pool first. It draws from Orchard only when the send amount exceeds the current Ironwood balance.
For example:
If the current Ironwood balance is 1 ZEC, the next send must be greater than 1 ZEC to continue moving funds out of Orchard.
Sending exactly 1 ZEC again may spend only the 1 ZEC already moved into Ironwood. The Orchard balance would not decrease, and the transaction would incur another fee.
Before every subsequent manual migration, check the current Ironwood balance in Zodl and choose the next send amount accordingly.
This behavior comes from Zodl's current coin-selection logic and does not imply that every Zcash wallet works the same way.
Security reminders
Keep these points in mind throughout migration:
- Keep your recovery phrase offline. A legitimate migration never requires you to enter it anywhere.
- Before signing, always verify the migration amount and transaction information on the Keystone screen.
- Use only official Keystone, Vizor, Zodl, or Noir software and migration entry points.
- Do not run alleged migration scripts or scan QR codes sent through direct messages or comments.
There is no urgent deadline for Ironwood migration. Understand the process and its privacy effects first, then choose the wallet and migration approach that fit your needs.