Zcash has completed a follow-up security assessment using Anthropic’s Mythos platform, and according to founder Zooko Wilcox, the review did not uncover any major flaws in the protocol following the recent Orchard vulnerability disclosure. The audit was commissioned by Shielded Labs after a bug was discovered that could have theoretically allowed unlimited counterfeit ZEC creation.
Wilcox expressed gratitude to Anthropic for safeguarding Zcash users and confirmed that the Mythos audit found no additional serious security issues within the network. This news arrives shortly after the Zcash ecosystem implemented emergency measures to address a flaw in the Orchard shielded transaction pool. Shielded Labs reported that the defect could potentially enable an attacker to mint unlimited fake ZEC, though previous exploitation appeared unlikely, with no cryptographic proof of past misuse.
Developers acted swiftly, first deploying a soft fork to disable Orchard transactions temporarily while keeping technical details confidential. A subsequent hard fork, NU6.2, went live on June 3 and eliminated the vulnerability, allowing Orchard transactions to resume. Wilcox noted that teams across the Zcash ecosystem, including the Zcash Foundation, Tachyon Group, Valar Group, Shielded Labs, and Zcash Open Development Lab, are now focusing on further security hardening and will share updates as progress continues.
In parallel, Wilcox is promoting the proposed Ironwood upgrade, which aims to enable users to independently verify Zcash’s circulating supply by aggregating balances across active pools once activated. Ironwood would introduce a new location for holding shielded ZEC, impose restrictions on transactions that might involve counterfeit coins, and incorporate additional security measures, including AI-assisted audits. The activation timeline remains uncertain, pending further development and community input.
The Orchard disclosure triggered a significant sell-off in ZEC, with the token losing over 50% of its value between June 4 and June 5 before recovering to $478.70 on June 9. Since then, ZEC has retreated to around $417 as investors reduced exposure to risk assets amid rising US-Iran tensions. Technical indicators suggest resistance near the $465 level, with the MACD histogram slipping back into negative territory after a brief positive turn, indicating waning buying pressure. Should buyers fail to reclaim the $465-$470 area, a retest of support near $355 appears possible.