DEPLOYMENT VECTOR

CROSSLINK IMPLEMENTATION

DEPLOYMENT VECTOR

Tracking the trajectory of Crosslink development.
From prototype to mainnet activation.

75% COMPLETE
COMPLETE
M1-M3
3 milestones
CURRENT
M4
In Progress
M4 TARGET
Dec 2025
Staking Semantics
NEXT
M5
Jan-Feb 2026
[ View Full Timeline ]

CROSSLINK ROADMAP

Source: shieldedlabs.net/roadmap

M1complete

PLACEHOLDERS AND PROCESSES

This initial milestone will provide the code structure and minimal functionality with no consensus modifications.

Mar 2025
Completed March 21, 2025
M2complete

DISCONNECTED BFT

Introduce BFT functionality, although Zcash's existing consensus will be completely unaltered.

Apr-May 2025
Completed May 16, 2025
M3complete

POW CONSENSUS

First modification of PoW consensus to respect the assured finality provided by the BFT protocol.

Jun-Aug 2025
Completed August 28, 2025
M4in progress

STAKING TRANSACTION SEMANTICS

Introduce new transaction functionality to enable all of the staking operations, such as delegations, PoS roster selection, and rewards issuance.

Sep-Dec 2025
M5upcoming

PRE-PRODUCTIONIZATION, TECH DEBT, FINAL REFACTORING

Milestone 5 revisits the prototyping design choices to plan out the Mainnet production readiness roadmap through 2026.

Jan-Feb 2026
TBDTBD

PRODUCTIONIZATION PHASE

Transition from the Prototype Phase to the Productionization Phase to integrate Crosslink into the Zcash protocol. The engineering roadmap and requirements are established during Milestone 5.

2026

CURRENT MILESTONE

What's being built right now

Sep-Dec 2025

M4: STAKING TRANSACTION SEMANTICS

IN PROGRESS

Introduce new transaction functionality to enable all of the staking operations, such as delegations, PoS roster selection, and rewards issuance.

DELEGATIONS

Stake holders can delegate to finalizers

POS ROSTER SELECTION

Finalizer roster management

REWARDS ISSUANCE

Staking reward distribution

For detailed milestone descriptions and updates:

shieldedlabs.net/roadmap
2026

PRODUCTIONIZATION PHASE

Transition from the Prototype Phase to the Productionization Phase to integrate Crosslink into the Zcash protocol.

The engineering roadmap and requirements for this phase are established during Milestone 5 (Jan-Feb 2026). Details about audits, testnet, and mainnet activation will be defined then.

For the latest updates:

shieldedlabs.net/roadmap

BEYOND V1

Crosslink V1 is the foundation. Not the finish line.

SHIELDED STAKING V2

EXPLORING

Enhanced privacy for staking operations. Fully shielded delegation and reward claims.

LIQUID STAKING

RESEARCH

Derivative tokens representing staked ZEC. Deferred to avoid complexity in V1.

FASTER FINALITY

RESEARCH

V1 targets ~1 minute finality. V2+ could push toward sub-10-second.

CROSS-CHAIN BRIDGES

PLANNED

Trust-minimized bridges to Ethereum, Cosmos, etc. Enabled by finality, built post-activation.

Note: These are possibilities, not commitments. V1 must succeed first.

MISSION PARAMETERS

Official Crosslink development timeline

Mar 2025
M1: Placeholders and Processes
Completed March 21, 2025
Apr-May 2025
M2: Disconnected BFT
Completed May 16, 2025
Jun-Aug 2025
M3: PoW Consensus
Completed August 28, 2025
Sep-Dec 2025
M4: Staking Transaction Semantics
Status: In Progress
← NOW
Jan-Feb 2026
M5: Pre-Productionization
Tech debt, final refactoring
2026
Productionization Phase
Roadmap established during M5
LAST VERIFIED: DEC 2025