Post-Quantum Signature Opcodes
Zcash (ZEC) · Releases & Updates · January 2027
Zcash developers target January 2027 for post-quantum, hash-based signature opcodes protecting transparent ZEC payments.
Zcash (ZEC) developers are targeting January 2027 for post-quantum signature opcodes, which would let the Zcash network verify quantum-resistant, hash-based signatures for transparent payments. The plan was published by Roman Akhtariev in an engineering post for Zakura, a Zcash node implementation used to run and validate the network, stating the goal of fully post-quantum-safe transparent pools with hash-based signatures in January. No network activation date or upgrade number has been confirmed, so the timing is an estimate. The change targets the transparent pool, which holds roughly 70% of issued ZEC (about 11.96M of 16.98M), while shielded payments need separate protections under Zcash's quantum recovery design (ZIP 2005). The roadmap follows Justin Drake's 'bunker mode' warning about AI-assisted attacks on wallet cryptography. Key topics: Zcash post-quantum, ZEC quantum resistance, hash-based signatures, Zakura, Zcash transparent pool, quantum-safe crypto upgrade.