**Summary:**

Horizen, the blockchain platform, has announced its plans to remove support for shielded transactions on its mainchain. This move will result in Horizen’s native token, ZEN, no longer being considered a privacy coin. The decision comes after the adoption of ZenIP 42204, which was approved by the community. The upcoming deprecation will activate via a hard fork and prevent shielded transactions with transparent inputs at the consensus level. Horizen believes that this step is necessary to drive sustainable growth for the ecosystem and mitigate regulatory threats. The removal of the mainchain shielded pools is scheduled for August 2023 for the testnet and September 2023 for the mainnet.

**FAQ:**

**What is Horizen?**
Horizen is a blockchain platform that focuses on privacy and empowering individuals to control their digital footprint.

**What is a privacy coin?**
A privacy coin is a cryptocurrency that offers enhanced privacy features, allowing users to make transactions without revealing personal information.

**Why is Horizen removing privacy from its mainchain?**
Horizen is removing privacy from its mainchain to ensure the proper handling of privacy technology and mitigate regulatory threats. It also allows the platform to improve and innovate by moving away from an outdated privacy technology.

**What is ZenIP 42204?**
ZenIP 42204 is a proposal that was approved by the Horizen community. It paves the way for the deprecation of the mainchain shielded pools and the removal of privacy features from the Horizen main blockchain.

**When will the removal of the mainchain shielded pools take place?**
The removal of the mainchain shielded pools is scheduled for August 2023 for the testnet and September 2023 for the mainnet.