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Update Zcashd cycle, include EOL info, dashboard and contributing links #37

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pacu merged 1 commit into from
Jul 10, 2026
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Update Zcashd cycle, include EOL info, dashboard and contributing links #37

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2 changes: 1 addition & 1 deletion src/content/zcash-z3/contributing.mdx
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## Zallet

GitHub: https://github.com/zcash/wallet
GitHub: https://github.com/zcash/zallet

Currently the Zallet team is developing the RPC API of the wallet. There are a
lot of issues to grab and contribute!
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8 changes: 4 additions & 4 deletions src/content/zcash-z3/dashboard.mdx
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| Project | Owner | Status | Current Milestone | Next Milestone |
|----------|----------|----------|----------|----------|
| Deprecation Outreach Phase 2 | ZecDev (Pacu) | Paused 🟢 | Zallet Alpha.4 | Zallet Alpha.5 |
| Deprecation Outreach | ZODL | 🟢 | End-of-support communication | None |
| [Zebra](https://github.com/ZcashFoundation/zebra) | Zcash Foundation | On-track 🟢 | Maintenance and Z3 stack development Support | N/D |
| [Zaino](https://github.com/zingolabs/zaino) | ZingoLabs | catching up 🌕 | [Zaino Zallet Support](https://forum.zcashcommunity.com/t/zaino-the-zallet-release/52155) | Block Explorer Support |
| [Zallet](https://github.com/zcash/wallet) | ZnewCo | On-track 🟢 | Alpha Builds released | Closed Alpha Iteration |
| [Block Explorer Support](https://github.com/zcash/zcash-explorer) | Paused 🌕 | Zaino BE RPC development| new RPC integration |
| [Zaino](https://github.com/zingolabs/zaino) | ZingoLabs | catching up 🌕 | pre-production hardening | N/D |
| [Zallet](https://github.com/zcash/wallet) | ZODL | On-track 🟢 | Alpha.4 released | 1.0 Beta |




60 changes: 12 additions & 48 deletions src/content/zcash-z3/zcashd_cycle.mdx
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# Zcashd version lifecycle: the Zcash ecosystem metronome.

Every 16 weeks a Zcashd version *dies* and a new one *is born*. This happens
whether Zcashd code is being substantially changed or not. Once a version is
released, *it can’t be stopped*. Nobody can tell you which version of Zcashd to
run. Zcashd is designed to stop running at a given blockheight and operators have
to update their version to keep validating (or mining) blocks. This means that
if you need to release a new version of Zcashd, for the case it requires the
current supported version to stop working, you need to wait until the
End-of-Support (EOS) of the current version.

This means that the feature that you finish developing today in Zcashd, will
only see the light of day on mainnet after the EOS date of the current version,
when the version that includes that feature becomes the current version (provided
that it doesn’t need a transition cycle). Sometimes that could mean a day, others
it can mean 16 weeks. That’s how this metronome keeps a decentralized,
permissionless and censorship-resistant protocol keeps everyone coordinated in
terms of software releases.

The timeline below shows the current Zcash version and the milestones where the
support of the next three versions end.

![Zcash release cycle](/assets/zcashd_release_cycle.png)

The next Zcashd EOS is January 21st 2026\. This entails that whenever the Zcash
development teams have consensus that Zcashd deprecation development is complete,
then the ecosystem will need a whole EOS cycle to occur in order to deploy the
proper versions that will stop the current supported Zcashd version and allow
the Zcash maintainers to create and deploy the **End-of-Life** version of Zcashd.

The Z3 development cross-team group gathered and estimated that it is acceptable
to assess that Zcashd deprecation development completion window could span between
now and May 2026 (Zcashd 6.10.1 EOS). This leaves the 16 weeks between 6.10.1 and
6.10.2 to be the cycle buffer where the Z3 infrastructure could co-exist in
production with Zcashd for the case NU7 is set to activate in September 2026

This means that NU7 could be targeted for activation after September 2026 indicated
by Zcashd 6.10.2 EOS Milestone provided that it is feature complete and the NU
process can be carried out by then, with the good practices that the Zcash core
developers have been doing all of these years.

## Towards a friction-less Network Upgrade process

Zcash core developers are researching ways to reduce the impact of Network
Upgrades that include transaction changes. This means less hassle for wallet and
infrastructure providers and a higher pace for smaller updates even if they do
include transaction format changes. Core developers are committed to improve UX
for all ecosystem actors including the most tech savvy ones.
# Zcashd End-of-Life

> ## ⚠️ `zcashd` is reaching its End of Life
>
> `zcashd` is **deprecated** and will **not** support NU6.3.
> **If you do not need the `zcashd` wallet, migrate to [Zebra](https://github.com/ZcashFoundation/zebra) now.**
> If you depend on the `zcashd` wallet, start testing [Zallet](https://zcash.github.io/zallet/)
> migrating your `wallet.dat` as soon as possible. The binary's **End-of-Support halt** is
> estimated for **July 18th 2026** at block height 3417100, after which every `zcashd` node
> automatically shuts down.

See [Zcash'd book chapter](https://zcash.github.io/zcash/user/end-of-life.html) on Zcashd EOL.
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