ZEC Does the Hustle: Zcash's NU7 Cuts the Coffee Break From 75 Seconds to a 25-Second Snap

ZEC Does the Hustle: Zcash's NU7 Cuts the Coffee Break From 75 Seconds to a 25-Second Snap

Zcash activated the NU7 network upgrade on testnet at block 4,465,026, mined on Oct. 4 at 18:21:45 UTC, according to testnet block explorer ZecBlock. The privacy-focused protocol confirmed the activation in a post on X, marking the start of a live testing phase roughly one month before the targeted mainnet rollout on Nov. 5.

The upgrade reduces Zcash's target block spacing from 75 seconds to 25 seconds, a threefold acceleration that, under a three-confirmation policy, would lower target confirmation wait times to about 75 seconds from 225. NU7 also disables version 4 transactions, which would render ZEC held in Zcash's legacy Sprout shielded pool unspendable unless users relocate the funds before the mainnet upgrade fully activates.

The release also integrates a Network Sustainability Mechanism that redirects 60% of transaction fees into a future-reward reserve, while adjusting per-block rewards to preserve the existing issuance schedule. The testnet uses valueless coins to let developers and infrastructure operators rehearse the changes without economic risk.

The Zcash Foundation said on Friday that testnet operators should run the release candidate to test NU7 "under real conditions." Zcash developers are scheduled to make a final decision on mainnet activation and set its activation height on Oct. 20, based on their experience during the testnet phase.

Separately, $ZEC was trading down about 2.5% over the prior 24 hours at just over $1,300, though the token remains up more than 30% over the past 30 days.