Electric Coin Company (ECC) has announced the launch of a major mainnet upgrade for its privacy-focused cryptocurrency Zcash (ZEC).

NU5 activates on the mainnet, eliminating reliable installation and ushering in a new era for Zcash. https://t.co/tBIJC6mdU4

— Elektrik Madeni Para A.Ş. (@ElectricCoinCoin) May 31, 2022

“NU5 – the first major update since November 2020 – includes the launch of Orchard’s secure payment protocol using Halo verification system,” the post says.

Halo is billed as the “unreliable recursive version” of zero-knowledge proofs. It is designed to greatly increase system scalability and eliminate the need for “trusted installations”.

ECC noted that protocols like Zcash “win in efficiency and security,” thanks to its open source verification system.

The update also includes unified addresses that provide users with a single Zcash address compatible with all existing pools.

ZEC did not react to the news about the activation of the update. At the time of writing, the price is close to $93. According to CoinGecko, in the capitalization order of crypto assets, the coin ranks 58th with $1.16 billion.

On October 28, 2021, the Zcash community celebrated the five years since the launch of the mainnet. During this time, the developers upgraded Overwinter, Sapling, Blossom, and Heartwood and halved them simultaneously with the launch of the Canopy update.

Previously, Electric Coin Company published a project roadmap to 2025. The team described the plan as “aggressive but achievable” and included a transition to a Proof-of-Stake consensus algorithm, interoperability, and a formal ECC wallet.

Former employee in April 2022 NSA and CIA US Edward Snowden announced his participation in the launch of Zcash.