TLDR
- Zcash developers selected block 3,543,405 for NU7 activation, targeting November 5.
- The upgrade will reduce block times from 75 seconds to 25 seconds, allowing faster transaction confirmations.
- NU7 will temporarily remove 60% of transaction fees from circulation, with miner payments restarting around February 2031.
- Sprout holders must move their funds before activation, while developers still need to finalize the upgrade specification.
Zcash developers chose block 3,543,405 for the NU7 upgrade, targeting faster ZEC transaction confirmations around November 5. The date remains provisional until developers complete required software changes.
On October 20, developer Sean Bowe proposed the activation height following an agreement among Zcash Improvement Proposal editors. The decision advances the upgrade but does not guarantee its November launch.
Zcash Upgrade Targets Threefold Speed Increase
NU7 will shorten the average interval between blocks from 75 seconds to 25 seconds. With blocks added more frequently, users could receive confirmations three times faster.
For example, an exchange requiring three confirmations could reduce a deposit wait from nearly four minutes to about 75 seconds. Actual times depend on network conditions and exchange policies.
The upgrade has operated on public testnet since early October. Its planned rollout follows a volatile month for ZEC, with recent Zcash market data showing a roughly 30% monthly decline.
Fees Return to Miners Under Revised Rules
NU7 introduces a fee rule that moves 60% of transaction fees out of circulation when miners create blocks. Rather than destroying those funds permanently, the protocol records them for later distribution.
The network plans to start releasing those withheld funds to miners around February 2031. Developers designed this arrangement to preserve the existing four-year halving cycle and avoid raising ZEC’s maximum supply.
Zcash holders previously supported keeping that reward schedule. A recent account of ZEC trading and network changes covered the vote alongside renewed attention to the November upgrade.
Sprout Holders Face Deadline Before NU7
Another NU7 change disables version 4 transactions, which support transfers from Sprout, Zcash’s original shielded pool. Once that rule takes effect, coins remaining in Sprout cannot move under the new rules.
Holders with funds in Sprout must transfer them to supported addresses before activation. Newer shielded pools will continue operating, and NU7 will not introduce an entirely new transaction format.
Interest in privacy technology extends beyond individual transfers. A recent discussion of financial blockchain privacy examined institutional confidentiality needs, while Zcash developers focus on preparing software for a faster network. As of Wednesday morning, Bowe’s proposal had two approvals but had not entered the official deployment specification.
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