On 2024-06-14, SSP Wallet v1.5.0 added native support for two more UTXO chains: Zcash and Bitcoin Cash. Two notable networks, two distinct stories — and both now slot into the same 2-of-2 multisig model that already protects Bitcoin, Litecoin, and Dogecoin balances inside SSP.
TL;DR
- Zcash (ZEC) joins SSP as a first-class UTXO chain.
- Bitcoin Cash (BCH) joins SSP as a first-class UTXO chain.
- Both chains use the same SSP Wallet + SSP Key co-signing flow as the rest of the UTXO lineup.
- Zcash support is transparent-only at launch (t-addresses); shielded z-addresses are a future consideration.
- Dependencies refreshed across the board to keep the desktop and mobile builds in lockstep.
What lands in v1.5.0
Both Zcash and Bitcoin Cash are wired in as full UTXO chains, following the same blueprint the wallet uses for every other coin: BIP-44 derivation, two independent xpubs (one held by SSP Wallet on the desktop, one held by SSP Key on the phone), and an on-device 2-of-2 co-signing step before any transaction can broadcast. That model is exactly the SSP Wallet's 2-of-2 multisig approach we shipped at launch — neither key alone can move funds, and neither device ever sees the other's secret.
If you've already onboarded Bitcoin or Litecoin in SSP, the experience of adding Zcash or Bitcoin Cash is identical. Open the Chains panel, toggle the chain on, scan or confirm the SSP Key handshake, and you're holding multisig ZEC or BCH on the same seed that protects the rest of your stack.
Why Zcash matters
Zcash is the chain that introduced zk-SNARK-based shielded transactions to a wide audience. It's a small but durable ecosystem with a clearly stated privacy thesis, and it shares enough plumbing with Bitcoin that the UTXO machinery transplants cleanly — once you're honest about scope.
SSP supports transparent Zcash addresses (t-addresses) only at launch. That gives you multisig custody, multi-signature signing, and the convenience of holding ZEC on the same hardware you already trust — but it does not give you the on-chain privacy of shielded z-addresses. Anyone watching the chain can see your t-address balances and history exactly the way they'd see a Bitcoin address.
Shielded (z-address) support is a known future-work item, not a v1.5.0 feature. We'd rather ship clean transparent support today than half-ship shielded signing and have it leak metadata in ways a multisig wallet shouldn't. If your threat model requires sapling-shielded transactions, keep using a dedicated Zcash wallet for that workflow until SSP can do it without compromise. The Zcash protocol context, if you want it, is one click away.
Why Bitcoin Cash matters
Bitcoin Cash forked from Bitcoin in August 2017 around the block-size debate, and has shipped as its own chain with larger blocks and lower fees ever since. Importantly for us, it kept the UTXO model and Bitcoin-compatible script semantics — which is why dropping it into SSP took weeks rather than months. Address encoding (CashAddr), derivation, signing, and broadcast all map onto the same UTXO pipeline the wallet already runs.
For users, the headline is straightforward: if you're holding BCH on a single-key hot wallet today, you can move it onto a 2-of-2 multisig setup with SSP without learning a new mental model. Same seed words, same SSP Key co-signing prompt, same recovery story.
How to use them in SSP
- Update both apps to v1.5.0 — SSP Wallet on desktop and SSP Key on your phone. The desktop client will refuse to derive new chains against a stale SSP Key.
- Open the Chains panel and enable Zcash, Bitcoin Cash, or both.
- Confirm the chain on SSP Key when it prompts. This pins the derivation paths into your key so future signatures match.
- Send a small test transaction in, then back out, to confirm both legs of the 2-of-2 are healthy before moving real size.
Receiving addresses derive immediately. Outgoing transactions, as always, require the SSP Key co-signature — your desktop alone can't move funds even if it's compromised.
What's next
UTXO coverage continues to round out, but the next big step is account-model: Ethereum support is on the way in v1.6 and will bring the first non-UTXO chain into the same 2-of-2 model. We'll cover the design tradeoffs in its own newsroom post when it ships.
Source: SSP Wallet v1.5.0 release notes.