# August 13, 2021 - weekly forum update **URL:** \ **Category:** Weekly Forum Updates\ **Created:** [August 13, 2021, 8:18pm UTC](https://forum.zcashcommunity.com/t/august-13-2021-weekly-forum-update/39802 "2021-08-13T20:18:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 1\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![janie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/46a35a/32.png) [@janie](https://forum.zcashcommunity.com/u/janie)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2021, 8:18pm UTC](https://forum.zcashcommunity.com/t/august-13-2021-weekly-forum-update/39802/1 "2021-08-13T20:18:16Z")
Hello Zcashers, What a couple of weeks in crypto-land! Here is your latest round of updates. Zcash updates - Zooko penned a blog post that poses: [Should Zcash switch from Proof of Work to Proof of Stake?](https://electriccoin.co/blog/should-zcash-switch-from-proof-of-work-to-proof-of-stake/) - ECC plans to release the Halo Arc for Zcash product suite later this year. With it, we’re introducing [“auto-shielding” in our mobile wallet SDKs and unified addresses](https://electriccoin.co/blog/new-releases-to-help-enable-zcash-shielded-by-default/) at the Zcash protocol level. - ECC [transitions](https://electriccoin.co/blog/ecc-transitions-to-user-focused-product-strategy/) to user-focused product strategy. - ECC’s Crypto in Context program has been proposed for next year’s SXSW conference. [Vote up the panel](https://panelpicker.sxsw.com/vote/114739) is SXSW’s panel picker. - We’re still accepting applications for [our open positions](https://electriccoin.co/jobs/) here at ECC. Mark your calendars - ECC is hosting a live AMA in Twitter Spaces on Tuesday, August 17 at 22:00 UTC. Bring your questions and [join us](https://twitter.com/i/spaces/1zqKVXPdMAwJB)! DevInf - Almost fully complete with first iteration of new on-call rotation - Updated Pushover account to team tier - Updated Dockerhub account - Completed initial investigation/implementation into docker scan infrastructure via Synk Core - Made optimizations to [batch note encryption](https://github.com/zcash/librustzcash/issues/422) and [Sinsemilla](https://github.com/zcash/orchard/pull/179) - More optimizations in progress! - Made the [final consensus change](https://github.com/zcash/orchard/pull/171)! - Update Poseidon instantiation from 58 to 56 partial rounds - We now have a low-level [API for ZIP 339](https://github.com/zcash/librustzcash/pull/424) (equivalent to BIP 39) - ZIP 339: Wallet Recovery Words (seed phrases) - Support in Zcashd will be available prior to NU5 activation - Merged a number of backports that are necessary for preparations for NU5 features - Support added for Parsing and serialization of Unified Addresses - Implemented in librustzcash [#352](https://github.com/zcash/librustzcash/pull/352), [#407](https://github.com/zcash/librustzcash/pull/407), and [#416](https://github.com/zcash/librustzcash/pull/416) Wallet - Apple account recovery complete - New wallet progress on Android and iOS - Continued work with Unstoppable Wallet, close to launching v0.22 - Interviewing, interviewing, interviewing for our open roles In the news Notably, crypto is on the minds of [everyone in Congress](https://www.npr.org/2021/08/09/1025986220/senators-push-infrastructure-bill-a-step-closer-to-passage). As we all refresh our memories on [how a bill becomes a law](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Otbml6WIQPo), the [crypto community mobilized](https://www.fightforthefuture.org/actions/stop-the-senate-from-sneaking-through-total-surveillance-of-the-crypto-economy/) to stand up for coins in the face of the big infrastructure bill. [Brian Brooks steps down](https://www.wsj.com/articles/brian-brooks-quits-as-ceo-of-crypto-exchange-binance-us-11628289690) as [Binance.US](http://Binance.US) CEO after only three months. SEC Chief [Gary Gensler calls for aggressive regulation](https://www.wsj.com/articles/sec-chief-gary-gensler-braces-for-clash-with-crypto-traders-11628164980) of digital assets. And a [new Harris Poll](https://finance.yahoo.com/news/black-latino-lgbtq-investors-see-100412051.html) suggests that Black, Latinx, and LGBTQ+ communities demonstrate strong interest in crypto as a new and inclusive path forward. Enjoy the weekend!