Zcash Upgrade Could Lock $16 Million in Old Privacy Pool

The story here is not the speed upgrade but the migration gap: a protocol change that strands value unless holders take action is a recurring pattern in privacy-coin design, and it shifts the burden of continuity onto users rather than the network. Those affected are holders of legacy shielded funds who may not be tracking upgrade notices, a group that tends to be less active than the broader market. Whether the cutoff prompts a late migration wave or leaves a permanent stranded balance is the open question worth watching.