TL;DR
- Zcash activated NU7 on public testnet ahead of schedule, cutting block time from 75 seconds to 25 seconds before a November mainnet rollout.
- The upgrade reduces block rewards to one third to preserve ZEC issuance, while redirecting 60% of fees into a reserve for mining rewards.
- Developers will review test results on October 20 before deciding on mainnet activation, currently targeted for November 5, while Sprout users must move funds.
Zcash activated its NU7 upgrade on public testnet ahead of schedule, cutting the network’s target block time from 75 seconds to 25 seconds before a planned November mainnet rollout. The change went live at block 4,465,026, giving exchanges, wallets and infrastructure providers an environment to test the new rules. Zcash traded near $1,341 as the upgrade entered public testing. NU7’s central change is a threefold reduction in target block spacing without accelerating ZEC’s long-term issuance schedule.
NU7 activated on testnet. $ZEC pic.twitter.com/Iwl4t51cSh
— Zcash 🛡️ (@Zcash) October 4, 2026
NU7 Tests Faster Payments Before Mainnet
Shorter blocks could reduce confirmation delays for services that require multiple blocks before crediting deposits or accepting payments. A platform waiting for three confirmations would face roughly 75 seconds of target waiting time instead of 225 seconds, although actual block times can vary. The public testnet gives operators a chance to measure faster confirmation behavior before ZEC is exposed, building on the November NU7 activation plan agreed by developers in September.
Faster production does not mean three times as many new coins. NU7 reduces the scheduled reward per block to one third, preserving the existing emission trajectory even as blocks arrive more frequently. It also changes transaction-fee distribution: miners receive 40%, while 60% is removed from circulation and recorded in a reserve intended to support future mining rewards. The monetary adjustments are designed to increase block frequency without rewriting Zcash’s issuance path, keeping the network’s halving framework intact.
The upgrade also disables version 4 transactions used by Sprout, Zcash’s oldest privacy system. Users with funds remaining in that pool need to move them before mainnet activation if they want to preserve normal spending access under the existing system. NU7 therefore combines faster settlement with the retirement of legacy transaction infrastructure, making the warning for Sprout holders operationally important ahead of the planned November upgrade.
Both major node implementations now support the public test. Zakura released its implementation on October 1, followed by a Zebra test build the next day, while the previous test network has been retired. Developers plan to review results on October 20 before deciding whether to proceed with mainnet activation, currently targeted for November 5. The early testnet launch accelerates real-world validation but does not make the mainnet upgrade final, leaving performance review and activation-height selection as remaining steps while Zcash continues broader scaling work around private transactions.
