Zcash Shielded News is a community article format based on the weekly Zcash Ecosystem Digest Newsletter.
Providing insight on current events and informing the community about important news in the Zcash ecosystem.
Check out the best Highlights below
Last week, Namada posted a technical update on the first Shielded Airdrop ever from Namada to ZEC holders.
In non-technical terms, this update concerns a transaction structure for the upcoming Airdrop, involving communication between the Sapling, Orchard, and Multi Asset Shielded Pools (MSAP).
We were also updated on how statements are defined within this structure, with an abstract specification proposed for each, including specific Balance & Binding signatures for the Shielded Airdrop protocol. Another key highlight was how these statements and signatures are integrated to ensure verifiability and security.
An important point mentioned was the identification of a privacy leak in the original protocol, reported by Daira Emma, which has been corrected, resulting in a more secure and complete version. Additionally, it was noted that phase 3 of Namada’s Mainnet launch will bring Public Goods Funding, in which the Zcash Airdrop may be included.
For the more technical enthusiasts, click link below for further information:
Version 1.2.1 brings highly requested features and design improvements aimed at making your transactions a smoother and more enjoyable experience.
Address Book
Ever had to send a transaction and found yourself copying the recipient's address, then having to copy and paste repeatedly each time you do it? The Address Book feature lets you save and retrieve addresses directly from the "Send to" field in the "Send" tab.
You can also securely access and manage your contacts from the "Settings" menu, with the required authentication to ensure your information remains protected.
Request ZEC:
Need to request a payment? Now it’s as simple as generating a QR Code! This new feature in the Receive tab lets you create and share payment requests quickly and securely — perfect for splitting bills or receiving payments for your services. Please note that if you’re scanning a QR Code, we recommend using Zashi's scanner for maximum security.
Redesigned Send Tab:
The "Send" tab has been modernized to align with Zashi's new Design System. A small UX (User Experience) improvement that many users requested has also been included: the message field now automatically closes when a transparent address is entered, since MEMOs can only accompany shielded transactions.
Transaction History:
Your transaction history on the home screen just got a little extra love.
Each entry is now expandable and collapsible with a simple tap, making it easier to review the details of your received transactions. This makes it simple to check the specifics of each transaction at a glance.
Earlier this month, in partnership with ECC, we announced the Video Contest about the new Zashi-Coinbase integration, with prizes of $500 in ZEC for the winner.
The competition was judged by ECC’s internal team, evaluating entries based on Creativity and Originality criteria.
Deni will receive 13.5 ZEC for his participation! His video stood out with an engaging approach to self-custody, turning a complex topic into an enjoyable and informative video with unique and fun elements. Fun wins. 🙂
🎖️ Honorable Mentions:
Participants @Messijnrz and @Dararonin each won 3 ZEC. Both videos showcased remarkable skill and included impressive design elements. Congratulations to them for their creativity and effort!
🚀 Participation Prizes:
ECC also received fantastic submissions from community members! As a way to encourage them to keep sharing their talents, all participants were awarded 1 ZEC for their contributions. Thank you for your creativity and involvement!
The DC Privacy Summit is an in-person event presented by the Coinbase Institute and produced by the Project Glitch journalism team. It focuses on bringing together technologists, privacy advocates, and policy-oriented professionals to learn about how and why emerging cryptographic systems challenge regulatory approaches.
The event featured a keynote presentation from a member of the White House National Security Council and a comprehensive schedule of renowned speakers well-known in our ecosystem. Highlights included Zooko Wilcox explaining how ZK-SNARKs work, Josh Swihart discussing consent in regulatory matters, Paul Brigner serving as the emcee and participating in several panels, Peter Van Valkenburgh addressing the importance of the Tornado Cash case and other related cases, and Marta Belcher from the Zcash Foundation emphasizing Zcash and other relevant topics.
After his talk at the DC Privacy Summit, Josh took some time at the airport to elaborate on his thoughts and experiences from the week.
His post addressed issues surrounding privacy, consent, and transparency, emphasizing the challenge of balancing privacy protection while sharing information for business purposes or in any domain. Josh reflected on the concept of consent and transparency, questioning whether they are sufficiently useful or specific to navigate the complexities of digital privacy, particularly when sharing data in seemingly "consensual" ways—such as posting photos or conducting transactions on public blockchains.
This raised a critical question for Josh: does publishing a transaction or photo genuinely imply full consent, given that associated information can be used by third parties without control or can be immutably recorded on a blockchain?
He pointed out that these actions could lead to irrevocable consequences in the future with advancements in technology, further underscoring the importance of private blockchains (like Zcash) or privacy as a whole. This discussion highlights the need for robust privacy frameworks and the potential risks involved in assuming that consent is adequately communicated or understood in digital interactions.
Josh’s insights serve as a reminder that as we move further into a digital era, the complexities surrounding privacy and consent will only intensify. Thus, fostering a deeper understanding of these issues and advocating for systems that prioritize user privacy will be crucial in navigating the challenges that lie ahead.
ECC Progress
Zashi 📱
Zashi Design
Implemented many ad hoc design tweaks needed for the development team
Updated Feature Graphic for Android PlayStore
Made progress on Transaction Success/Error screen designs
Working on Transaction History Redesign - implementing feedback from the team and finalizing designs for all the possible cases and scenarios
Started explorations for Home screen, navigation redesign and Multi-Account support
iOS 🍎
Unique Installs: 3.67k
Total Downloads: 4.33k
Rating: 4.9 ★
Released Zashi 1.2.1
Built “Add UA to Memo” prototype (dedicated for testing purposes)
Implemented Select Text Feature that allows users to copy just some parts of the memo in a transaction
Transactions that receive transparent funds no longer show a shield icon
Not Enough Free Space status screen: updated UI and tweaked Settings to show only relevant options (all options involving the synchronizer are hidden)
Cleaned up Github issues
Resolved Zashi Warnings, 0 now
Resolved Coinbase curl + auth, fetched supported countries
Uploaded Zashi 1.2.2 with fixes addressing 1.2.1 issues + update to 2.2.6 SDK (stuck in AppStore review because of Coinbase integration AGAIN!)
Adopted and tested Flexa 1.0.5
Prepared Spanish localization
Android 🤖
Total Install Base: 2.27k
Total Installs (incl. Open Beta): 7.97k
Rating: 4.71 ★
Finalized Request ZEC feature (an issue with the ZIP 321 library fixed - coop with Pacu)
Released 1.2.1 + SDK 2.0.5
Updated UI of all technical status screens (updates, not enough free space)
Adopting and testing Flexa 1.0.5
Working on updating Settings UI
Implementing app authentication on app launch
Investigating newly reported issue with Network type mismatch and other user issues
Prepared Spanish localization
Zcash Core
Fixed:
Bug in checkpoint id selection.
Released zcash_client_sqlite version 0.12.2 with hotfix.
Working on
Improve spend-to-spend latency (“tip the barista problem”) by creating multiple change notes from each transaction in librustzcash-based wallets.
PCZT (Partially Constructed Zcash Transaction) format — useful for hardware wallets, multisig, swaps, etc.
Zashi Address book encryption.
Specification of larger memos (ZIP 231: Decouple Memos from Transaction Outputs).
Others 🌐
The ECC provided a trademark designation to the Zcash Foundation for a license that will allow support for Zcash community assets. The team hopes to reinforce this soon and has not yet received a response from the ZF regarding how it plans to use the trademark in conjunction with governance.
There was an issue with the Halving countdown on the z.cash website that occurred this week - now fixed!
