Cryptocurrency exchange Gemini has changed the software for its Zcash systems, replacing Zebra with Zakura, ahead of the planned network upgrade. This upgrade, known as NU7, will reduce the time between blocks from 75 seconds to 25 seconds. Gemini announced that Zakura was able to synchronize with the latest block in just over six hours during deployment, while the previous version, Zebra, took nearly a day to achieve the same goal.
Tests of Zakura have shown that under certain circumstances, the system can synchronize in four hours and 20 minutes, while Zebra did so in about 21 hours. The NU7 upgrade is scheduled for November 5, and the Zcash test network will receive the update on October 6. Developers plan to evaluate the testing results before deciding to transition to the main network on the specified day. It is worth noting that companies, including Gemini, led by Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss, have significant interests in Zcash, including investments through their firms and asset management. In particular, their investment company led a $59 million funding round for Cypherpunk Technologies, which is involved in both storing and mining ZEC.
It is important to note that each cryptocurrency exchange that lists a cryptocurrency operates its own computer that tracks the corresponding network. This equipment must find and verify transactions before crediting a customer's account. The resilience of the system and the ability to quickly regain synchronization are critical for managing the flow of funds on the exchange. This is especially important given the upcoming Zcash upgrade, which will increase the frequency of processing new blocks to three times per second, requiring user systems to respond significantly faster.
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