- Zcash activated NU7 on testnet at block 4,465,026.
- NU7 cuts target block times from 75 seconds to 25 seconds.
Zcash has activated its NU7 network upgrade on public testnet, moving the protocol closer to a planned mainnet rollout in November. The upgrade went live at block 4,465,026 on October 4, ahead of the previously expected October 6 activation.
NU7 reduces Zcash’s target block time from 75 seconds to 25 seconds. The change is designed to cut the average wait for a first confirmation to about 25 seconds, while the amount of ZEC issued each day remains unchanged. The per-block reward is adjusted to preserve the existing issuance schedule and halving timetable.
The upgrade also introduces the Network Sustainability Mechanism (NSM). Under the new system, 60% of transaction fees are placed into a reserve, while miners receive the remaining 40%. Part of the reserve can later be reissued as block rewards. The 21 million ZEC supply cap remains unchanged.
NU7 Changes Shielded Transactions as ZEC Recovers
NU7 also introduces limits on shielded activity to manage network and wallet workloads as blocks become more frequent. It sets limits of 330 Orchard or Ironwood actions and 300 Sapling inputs and outputs, alongside a shared 330-action budget.
The upgrade also makes version 4 transactions invalid. Because the older Sprout privacy system relies on version 4 transactions, ZEC remaining in the Sprout pool after NU7 reaches mainnet would become unspendable unless moved beforehand. Version 5 and version 6 transactions remain valid.
Zcash developers are expected to review the testnet results on October 20 before setting the mainnet activation height. The current target for NU7 mainnet activation is November 5, subject to that review.
Meanwhile, following the NU7 testnet activation, ZEC is trading around $1,335, up about 2.9% over 24 hours, with roughly $625 million in 24-hour trading volume and a market cap of about $22.48 billion. Still, ZEC remains down about 15.6% over the past seven days. Its current 24-hour range is approximately $1,308 to $1,362.
The price action puts $1,350-1,462 near-term resistance on the chart, while $1,284 is the immediate downside level from the current 24-hour range.
