Summary
- Zakura anticipates the implementation of post-quantum signature opcodes in Zcash by January, which will facilitate hash-based signatures for transparent transactions.
- This method combines address rotation with private information retrieval, a feature set to debut this week in the Vizor wallet, preventing servers from associating a user’s addresses.
- This initiative follows concerns raised by Ethereum researcher Justin Drake regarding the potential vulnerabilities of transparent payments, though no specific activation date has been confirmed for the network.
As discussions about “bunker mode” continue in the cryptocurrency community, a group of developers from Zcash is moving forward with a proactive strategy.
Zakura, responsible for developing a full node for Zcash, has indicated that post-quantum signature opcodes are expected to be integrated into Zcash by January. These opcodes serve as low-level commands that will enable the network to validate a new category of signatures.
According to an engineering update from Roman Akhtariev, the objective is to create “fully post-quantum safe transparent pools utilizing hash-based signatures.”
Zcash supports two payment types: shielded transactions that conceal sender, receiver, and amount, and transparent transactions that are visible to the public, similar to Bitcoin. A transparent address features a hash of a public key, which remains concealed until the owner makes a transaction that reveals the key on the blockchain.
Here’s our strategy for quantum-safe, unlinkable rotating transparent addresses. This is achievable with Zcash today.
While others worry about the practicality of rotating transparent addresses, we are already addressing linkability.https://t.co/LE0OOKUKgA
— Zakura (@ZakuraZcash) October 8, 2026
Zakura’s method incorporates two protective measures. Wallets will switch to a new address after each transaction to keep public keys hidden, and they will utilize a hash-based backup signature called WOTS. This hash-based approach circumvents the elliptic-curve mathematics that could potentially be compromised by AI or quantum computing.
However, this address rotation poses a privacy challenge. When a wallet requests balance checks across multiple addresses, a server can deduce that these addresses belong to the same user. Zakura plans to mitigate this issue through private information retrieval (PIR), a cryptographic method that allows wallets to access records without disclosing which ones they are retrieving. This feature will be available in the Vizor wallet starting this week, where users can activate “private queries” in the settings.
“While others are concerned about the feasibility of rotating transparent addresses, we are already tackling linkability,” Zakura stated on X.
This comment references the recent advice from Ethereum Foundation researcher Justin Drake, who suggested that holders should methodically transfer funds to new addresses. The reaction to Drake's warning, however, was far from measured.
Drake cautioned that AI-assisted mathematics could compromise ECDSA signatures that protect Bitcoin and Ethereum potentially sooner than quantum computers, with the worst-case scenario unfolding in mere months. Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin has also weighed in, expressing that he believes it’s “plausible” that advancements in AI could breach encryption within the next two years.
The Zakura initiative pertains solely to Zcash’s transparent transactions, and the announcement did not specify how or when these opcodes would be activated across the network.
This move comes amid increasing interest from institutional investors in Zcash, highlighted by a new proposed U.S. ETF linked to the Winklevoss twins and the introduction of Europe’s first Zcash ETP. It also follows a recent upgrade aimed at making private transactions three times faster.