Zcash developers have agreed to activate the NU7 upgrade at block 3,543,405, expected around Nov. 5, according to a proposal filed by developer Sean Bowe. The change would speed payments on the privacy-focused blockchain by a factor of three, though the proposal still requires final integration into the deployment specification and node software before it can take effect.
Faster Blocks and Confirmations
NU7 reduces the time between blocks—the batches of transactions added to the chain—from 75 seconds to 25 seconds. For exchanges that wait for three confirmations before crediting a ZEC deposit, the delay could fall from nearly four minutes to about 75 seconds. The upgrade has been running on Zcash's test network since early October.
Fee Withholding and Sprout Shutdown
The upgrade also temporarily removes 60% of the fees collected in each block from circulation. Those coins will be paid back to miners starting around February 2031, while preserving Zcash's existing schedule for reducing mining rewards by 50%. In addition, NU7 disables Zcash's original Sprout privacy system entirely, making any funds left there unspendable. Holders have until activation in early November to move their coins.
Final Steps Before Activation
The activation height was agreed at a meeting of Zcash Improvement Proposal (ZIP) editors, the group that signs off on changes to the blockchain's rules. Node software Zakura's public upgrade dashboard now lists that block as the planned mainnet activation point. Bowe's proposal had two approvals but had yet to be merged into the deployment specification as of 08:00 UTC Wednesday, which still listed the mainnet activation height as undecided. Node software must also include the chosen height before the upgrade can take effect.
