Ahead of a scheduled upgrade that would reduce block times from 75 seconds to 25, Gemini switched the software powering its Zcash systems, moving from Zebra to Zakura. The change in how quickly each system catches up with the network is notable: six hours for Zakura, compared to nearly a day for Zebra.
Gemini’s Catch-Up Test
Tuesday’s confirmation from the Winklevoss-owned exchange revealed that Zakura reached the latest block within a span of roughly six hours during its deployments, while Zebra, the software it used prior to that, required close to a day to do the same task. The six-hour figure gauges how swiftly a machine can catch up after starting anew or falling behind.
The developers behind Zakura released a standalone test that ran for four hours and 20 minutes, compared to nearly 21 hours for Zebra. They also supply a saved record of recent network information that lets a replacement machine come back online without needing to download Zcash’s entire history from the start. In their testing, that method came in at about 680 times faster than a standard synchronization process.
What Zakura Does
Zakura is a program that watches Zcash and examines its record of transactions. It lets a computer begin catching up from a recent picture of the network instead of having to download the whole history from the very start.
Before Zcash’s scheduled NU7 upgrade, a switch is coming. That upgrade would cut block times from 75 seconds to 25 seconds, and demand that network computers handle transactions three times more frequently. Developers are aiming for Nov. 5 as the mainnet launch date.
The Catch-Up Comparison
Here is how the catch-up times compare:
- Zakura caught up in a little over six hours during Gemini’s deployments.
- Zebra took close to a day.
- Zakura’s developer test took four hours and 20 minutes.
- Zebra’s developer test took nearly 21 hours.
- The saved-data sync was about 680 times faster than a standard sync.
The Winklevoss Connection
Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss control Gemini, and their Zcash interests go well beyond the exchange itself. Through their investment firm, they led a $59 million funding round for Cypherpunk Technologies, a publicly traded company that holds and mines ZEC. In August, a Winklevoss affiliate sold Cypherpunk a Zcash mining fleet for $33 million. Cypherpunk says Gemini handles trading and custody for its ZEC holdings.
Why Catch-Up Time Matters
When a customer sends ZEC to Gemini, the exchange’s computer has to locate the payment on Zcash and check its validity before adding the funds to the account. Exchanges maintain their own versions of the network so they can handle transactions this way.
When a computer fails or falls behind, the coins may show up before the customer’s balance gets updated. Usually, exchanges put deposits and withdrawals on hold for that coin until the copy catches up again. The length of that pause depends mostly on how fast a replacement can rebuild its copy of the network.
The next upgrade to Zcash, known as NU7, plans to reduce the interval between blocks from 75 seconds to 25, which requires computers tracking the network to process new batches at a rate three times faster. The developers aim to launch the update on Nov. 5.
The Upgrade Timeline
Zcash’s test network will get NU7 on Oct. 6. Developers say they’ll make their call on the Nov. 5 mainnet launch after they see how things go.
What Remains Unknown
Gemini has not put Zakura through a test of how it handles the faster block schedule. The exchange has demonstrated that Zakura can catch up within six hours, but it has not examined the program under actual NU7 conditions.
The Bottom Line
Gemini moved to the new system ahead of schedule, and the results support that choice. A six-hour catch-up window beats a full day by a wide margin. The exchange should put out more tests run under real NU7 conditions, but the trend is obvious: Zakura runs faster, and the Winklevoss-owned operation has already adopted it.
Gemini’s move signals the exchange is prepared for the shift, though the full picture of how Zakura handles the accelerated pace has yet to emerge. The upgrade itself lands on Nov. 5.
Source material: “Winklevoss-owned Gemini switches Zcash software ahead of faster 25-second blocks,” CoinDesk.
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