Zcash Launches Zakura Node Aiming for Visa-level Transaction Speed

Zcash's new Zakura client has been launched as part of a broader initiative to increase the cryptocurrency's transaction capability to match that of major payment networks like Visa and Mastercard. The Zakura client, which is a pruned and fast-syncing fork of the existing Zebra software, aims to improve throughput from roughly one transaction per second to tens of thousands.

This new node is maintained by Sean Bowe and Dev Ojha, who receive funding through private donations rather than from the Zcash Foundation. Bowe emphasized the project's ambition, stating, "Our dream is to support the world's payments. Mastercard and Visa handle more than 50k transactions per second; that's our floor." To achieve this, they assert they need to overcome significant data throughput challenges posed by current cryptographic requirements.

Zakura is not only designed to handle increased transaction loads but also ensures backward compatibility with the older zcashd client. This allows it to prune unnecessary blockchain data, drastically reducing disk usage and enabling rapid deployment for new nodes.

The launch of Zakura supports the upcoming Ironwood (NU6.3) upgrade, scheduled to activate on July 28, which introduces security measures for Zcash's shielded pool. The shielded pools are critical for maintaining user privacy, as they conceal transaction details through zero-knowledge proofs.

Ironwood addresses a significant flaw identified earlier in the year that allowed counterfeit ZEC to be created undetected. The upgrade includes a turnstile mechanism that restricts withdrawals from the shielded pool, thus safeguarding the integrity of Zcash's supply. As noted in the announcement, the new safeguards are essential in ensuring that only verified balances can exit the shielded pools, while any counterfeit coins remain trapped.

Furthermore, Zakura aims to optimize block propagation across the network, enabling real-time transactions at high volumes. An experimental feature is included that aims to broadcast new blocks to all nodes in under half a second, enhancing overall network performance. However, this feature is currently disabled by default.

As Bowe highlighted, the ambitious goals set for Zcash hinge on the successful execution of its technological advancements. The project continues to push forward, with the next major test of its systems occurring during the Ironwood upgrade later in July, which aims to unify the Zcash ecosystem and improve its operational capabilities.