Arborist Call #89 | R&D Updates
NU6 readiness, PCZT's, zcashd deprecation, FROST, Crosslink & NU7 ZIPs!
The Zcash Arborist Calls are bi-weekly protocol development meetings focused on tracking upcoming protocol deployment logistics, consensus node implementation issues, and protocol research.
This summary focuses on the last call that took place on 10/31/2024
Meeting began with updates on NU6 readiness.
@feministplt submitted a PR for final clarifications of NU6 specs. The @LeastAuthority audit for NU6 was published.
From the last week only 30 nodes on the network (of the set @Str4d’s DNS seeder calculates stable) were NU6 compatible.
With zcashd 5.1.0 EOS halt tomorrow - upgrade your nodes!
In collaboration with @ElectricCoinCo, @ZcashFoundation released the results from its private testnet in the Zebra Book.
NU6 documentation in the codebase was updated alongside Zebra 2.0.1 patch release with NU6 support!
@ZcashFoundation updates with Alfredo
Cookie authentication method was added to the Zebra RPCs alongside adding new activation heights for the v2 stable release.
At NU6 activation Zebra 2.0.0 encounters a panic. You must use 2.0.1 to pass the upgrade!
@GustavoValverde is working to merge external contributions into main, these include a PR Zaino opened that has already been approved.
@conradoplg is working on extending the getblock RPC method that has a lot of options, Zebra only support a handful at present.
Alfredo is now refactoring the Zebra RPC framework to use crates that are not deprecated. It’s a big change that wont necessarily be noticeable by users.
@ElectricCoinCo updates:
Recent focus has been on advancing the NU7 ZIPs and troubleshooting SDK issues.
Efforts include fixes for note management, enhancing transaction creation, and refactoring the transaction builder.
PCZT (Partially Created Zcash Transactions) development continues with a draft structure up for review.
PCZT aims to enable multi-party collaborations on transaction creation, equivalent to @Bitcoin PSBT. It will enable HW vendors, wallets, node operators etc to interop on txs.
zcashd deprecation has made progress: an initial binary has been created with frameworks for localization and basic commands.
it’s not yet fully functional - this is the first step toward building a comprehensive wallet backend for Zcash.
@thecodebuffet - Outreach to new and existing partners operating zcashd nodes is ongoing.
The team has discovered a few to contact next. The aim is to collect requirements elements from other kinds of blockchains like Avalanche that have an Ethereum-based architecture.
Zcash supported on those explorers is necessary, especially on the verge of the @reddevinc Avalanche <> Zcash Bridge #RedBridge
@FeministPLT summarised earlier discussions with @qeditzkp Zcash Shielded Asset (ZSA) team.
Meeting was focused on fees for asset mint/inssuance/burning/transfer.
Transfer will be indistinguishable from Orchard $ZEC transactions 🛡️
From an economic standpoint, creating a new asset should incur a higher fee - qedit suggesting 5000x marginal fee, the rest might not.
Open questions as to whether NFT mints are desirable under the current proposal for fee structure.
Another question if action groups (turned off) to be included in the V6 format.
The upcoming circuit audit for Zcash Shielded Assets (ZSAs) is scheduled to start this week!
Crucial for ensuring the robustness of ZSAs for secure & private asset handling.
FROST protocol has reached version 2.0.0 with exposed API
community contributions introduced support for BIP-340 and Taproot signatures. Now cleanups to complete to make the server production ready!
NSM Update: Community feedback continues on ZIP 235’s emission curve smoothing.
There’s discussion on testing a voluntary burn of 60% transaction fees, potentially as an opt-in configuration for wallets allowing a trial of the feature before incorporating it at consensus level.
Join the Network Sustainability Mechanism Community Call tomorrow at 18:00 UTC!!
Progress on Hybrid PoS with @Zooko & @ShieldedLabs: @FeministPLT has been writing the security proofs for a low-latency version of Crosslink.
Feedback will be integrated. The initial deployment of Crosslink is coming into focus following valuable input from the broader community.
On the topic of energy efficiency vs Hybrid PoW, PoSAT was mentioned as a potential solution.
By preserving the unpredictability of block production, PoSAT promises to keep Zcash’s decentralized integrity intact while reducing network energy requirement.
Into Open Announcements:
Wallet developers using @ElectricCoinCo SDK crates: please remember to update dependencies point to the correct consensus branch ID for NU6 support!
@EdgeWallet @unstoppablebys @NighthawkWallet @zashi_app
Final points during the meeting were around NU7 ZIPs. The deadline for proposals is 5th November.
3 interesting NU7 ZIPs currently open for review: ZIP 927, which proposes disabling V4 transactions (effectively phasing out Sprout!).
Making fees explicit in the v6 transaction format. Reviewers are invited to examine these for the upcoming upgrade.
Encrypted memo bundles with multiple variable-size memos (up to 10KB), shared memo keys & potential for transparent transaction memos!