Orchard to Ironwood: How to Move Your Shielded ZEC (Phone, Desktop, Ledger, Keystone)

Updated November 4, 2026.

To move shielded ZEC from Orchard to Ironwood, use your wallet's migration tool. There's no deadline, but Orchard has been restricted since the Ironwood upgrade, so you'll want your funds in Ironwood to use them normally. Every migration makes the crossing amount public, so choose private (staged) migration if you don't want your whole balance visible in one transfer. In Vizor, software accounts on iPhone and desktop can choose private or immediate, Android and Ledger accounts use immediate, and Keystone uses guided QR signing.

What changed with Ironwood

Ironwood is Zcash's newest shielded pool. It launched with the NU6.3 upgrade, which activated on July 28, 2026 at block 3,428,143. It responds to the Orchard soundness vulnerability found in May 2026 and makes the shielded supply independently verifiable.

What that means for your funds:

• Orchard is restricted. Ordinary payments inside the old Orchard pool are disabled, and funds leaving Orchard pass through Zcash's turnstile into Ironwood (ZIP 318).
• New payments go to Ironwood. Payments to the Orchard receiver inside an existing Unified Address now land in Ironwood, so you don't need a new address (ZIP 318, citing ZIP 326).
• There's no deadline. Keystone's guide says Orchard funds don't expire or disappear, and no rule forces you to migrate right away.

What's public when you migrate

Each migration transaction reveals the amount that crosses from Orchard to Ironwood. It doesn't reveal who sent it, who received it, or which shielded addresses were involved (Keystone's guide, ZIP 318).

That's why the method matters:

The standard amounts come from ZIP 318, the wallet guideline for this migration. Common amounts collide across many wallets, so one transfer doesn't point to you. A remainder under 0.01 ZEC is left in Orchard rather than sent as an identifiable odd amount. ZIP 318 also tells wallets to offer Tor, because a server that sees your IP address next to a public crossing amount can link the two. Turn Tor on before you start.

Migration options in Vizor, by device and account

During a private migration, you can switch the remaining balance to immediate or stop the schedule and restart later. You don't have to wait for it to finish to use your wallet. Vizor allows sends before the migration is performed, and lets you vote once eligible Ironwood funds are available, even before all Orchard funds have moved.

Step by step: migrate a software account in Vizor

1. Update Vizor from the App Store, Google Play, or vizor.cash/get.
2. Turn on Tor in Settings.
3. Open the account and let it sync. When it has eligible Orchard funds, Vizor shows the Ironwood migration entry point on Home.
4. Choose Private or Immediate. Vizor shows the amount, the plan, the estimated duration, and what each option reveals.
5. Review the schedule and confirm. Confirming is your consent to the public crossing amounts, as ZIP 318 requires.
6. Keep Vizor running. Confirmed Ironwood funds become spendable while the rest continues.

Small balances: Vizor needs to migrate at least 0.01 ZEC plus fees, so the entry point doesn't appear below about 0.01095 ZEC. That remainder stays in Orchard and doesn't expire.

Ledger: immediate migration

1. In Ledger Wallet, update the firmware and install the Zcash app 3.10.0 or newer. Vizor checks the app version before it sends anything to the device, and 3.9.x gets an "update required" message.
2. Connect the Ledger in Vizor and open the Ledger account.
3. Start the migration and choose Immediate. It's the only option for Ledger, because private migration signs many transactions ahead of time.
4. Approve on the Ledger. The full Orchard balance crosses in one public transaction.

Ledger's own app reads only Ironwood and doesn't show Orchard or Sapling funds (Ledger), so use a companion wallet to move them. Phone setup: Ledger with shielded ZEC on iPhone and Android.

Keystone: guided QR signing

Keystone's guide covers Vizor desktop step by step. In short:

1. Update the Keystone 3 Pro to Cypherpunk firmware 3.0.2 or later and Vizor to 0.0.39 or later.
2. Open the Keystone account in Vizor, let it sync, and open Ironwood Migration.
3. Review the plan, then scan the unsigned QR code with the Keystone. It holds many transactions, so scanning can take up to about six minutes. Vizor shows how many QR rounds and transactions before you start.
4. Check the amounts on the Keystone screen, sign, and scan the signed QR back into Vizor.
5. Let Vizor broadcast on schedule. Keep the computer on, unlocked, and online.

What happens at NU7

NU7 is scheduled to activate at block 3,543,405 (ZIP 259). Migration parts are signed ahead of time for the network rules in effect, and a part signed for the old rules can't be mined after the upgrade. Wallets handle this in different ways:

• Vizor holds migration broadcasts in the last blocks before activation and doesn't start new migrations then. If the upgrade stops a run, Vizor shows what remains and guides you through moving the rest, and the private plan is drawn again once the chain is on NU7. Inputs from parts that never made it are released instead of staying locked until expiry.
• Zodl 3.19.0 doesn't offer scheduled migration until NU7, keeps one-transaction migration available, and offers to migrate what's left if the upgrade cancels a run.

Confirmed transfers are unaffected either way. After NU7, ZIP 318's delays are scaled to the 25-second blocks, so schedules keep the same length in time. More in Zcash NU7: what changed.

Migrating with Zodl instead

Zodl 3.9.0 added a guided migration with both a privacy-preserving and an immediate option, including Keystone. On Android its gradual migration runs in the background. On iPhone you reopen the app when each step is ready. Zodl's notes say migration doesn't work with Ledger accounts yet. Compare the two in Zodl vs Vizor.

Mistakes to avoid

• Running two migrations at once. Use one wallet for the migration, even if the same phrase is in two apps. Keystone's guide says not to create a new migration before you've confirmed the status of the existing one.
• Skipping Tor. Without it, the server can tie your IP address to public crossing amounts.
• Following "migration help" in DMs. Don't run scripts or scan QR codes sent to you in messages or comments, and never enter your recovery phrase anywhere but your wallet's own restore screen. For more on safe storage, see how to store ZEC.

FAQ

Do I have to move my ZEC from Orchard to Ironwood?

There is no deadline. Orchard funds don't expire or disappear. But since NU6.3 the Orchard pool is restricted: ordinary payments inside Orchard are disabled, and funds leaving it pass through the turnstile into Ironwood. To use those funds normally, move them with your wallet's migration tool when you're ready.

Is Ironwood migration private?

Partly. The amount that crosses from Orchard to Ironwood is public on-chain for each transaction. Your addresses and the sender and receiver stay hidden. A private (staged) migration splits your balance into standard amounts sent over time, so no single transfer reveals your whole balance. An immediate migration publishes the full amount in one transfer.

What's the difference between private and immediate migration?

Private migration splits your balance into common denominations and sends them on a randomized schedule, which can take from several hours to a couple of days. Immediate migration moves everything in one transaction right away, which is faster but makes the full amount visible as a single cross-pool transfer.

Can I migrate a Ledger to Ironwood?

Yes, in Vizor. Since v0.0.63, Ledger accounts can move Orchard funds to Ironwood with Immediate migration. Install Ledger's Zcash app 3.10.0 or newer first. Private migration isn't available for Ledger accounts. Zodl's notes say migration doesn't work with Ledger yet.

Can I migrate on Android?

Yes. Vizor on Android offers Immediate migration; its Private option is shown as unavailable. Zodl's Android app runs its private migration in the background. If you want a staged migration of a software account in Vizor, you can run it from Vizor on iPhone or desktop instead, in one wallet only.

What happens to my migration at NU7?

Migration transactions are signed for the network rules in effect, and parts signed before NU7 can't be mined after it. Vizor holds migration broadcasts just before activation, stops a run the upgrade interrupts, shows what remains, and guides you through moving the rest. Transfers already confirmed are unaffected.

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Move your ZEC to Ironwood from your phone or computer. Get Vizor for iPhone, Android, or Mac, Windows, and Linux at vizor.cash/get. It's free, open source, made by a team with years of experience building crypto wallets, and it works with Ledger and Keystone.