Zcash Developers Outline January Goal for Quantum-Resistant Public Payments
Zcash developers are targeting January for a quantum-resistant payments plan focused on public transactions, where roughly 70% of ZEC is held. A separate wallet tool is also intended to limit what balance checks reveal about address relationships.
By Chloe ·
Zcash developers have set a January target for work on quantum-resistant payments, with the initial plan focused on the network’s public-payment activity. The effort follows what the project described as a “bunker mode” scare, placing greater attention on how users’ payment information and address relationships may be exposed.
The scope is significant for Zcash because about seven in 10 ZEC sit in the public-payment portion of the ecosystem, according to the summary of the plan. That makes the public side of the network the main area addressed by the proposed changes, rather than a narrower feature affecting only a small share of holdings.
A separate wallet tool
Alongside the payments work, developers are planning a separate wallet tool. Its purpose would be to keep balance checks from revealing which addresses belong together. In practice, that means separating the act of checking balances from information that could be used to connect multiple addresses to the same user or entity.
The distinction matters because address relationships can provide additional context beyond an individual transaction. A balance check may appear limited on its own, but the way related addresses are grouped can reveal more about how funds are organized. The proposed wallet tool is intended to reduce that exposure while the broader quantum-resistant payment plan is developed.
Why the January target matters
The January target gives Zcash developers a near-term milestone for a plan that combines two concerns: resistance to future quantum threats and tighter control over information revealed through public-payment activity. The summary does not specify whether the target refers to a release, a test, or another development stage.
For users and observers, the key issue is therefore not only the planned timing but also how the public-payment changes and the separate wallet tool will work together. Further details will be needed to assess the final implementation and its effect on address privacy.
Source: Coindesk