Zcash developers are targeting Nov. 5 for the activation of the NU7 mainnet after organizations and engineering teams reached a unanimous agreement regarding its contents and estimated timeline.
According to Zcash developer Sean Bowe, the upgrade is scheduled to activate on the testnet on Oct. 6. A final decision concerning the mainnet upgrade and its activation height will be made on Oct. 20, following an evaluation of the testnet's performance under NU7.
Key Technical Changes in NU7
The proposed upgrade will shorten Zcash's target block spacing from 75 seconds down to 25 seconds. Additionally, NU7 will disable version 4 transactions and integrate the Network Sustainability Mechanism (NSM).
The selected NSM configuration is designed to maintain Zcash's existing halving schedule, while reintroducing previously removed supply starting in February 2031.
Bowe noted that the NU7 upgrade will not introduce new transaction formats and is expected to have minimal impact on standard wallets. However, full nodes, indexers, and block explorers may need to implement adjustments.
Community Support and Market Context
Zcash holders heavily favored the proposals prior to the timeline announcement. In a vote held on Wednesday, 98.9% of participants supported preserving the halving schedule, and 99.9% of the ZEC-weighted vote backed the transition to faster blocks.
The timeline announcement coincided with upward price movement for ZEC. On Thursday, ZEC gained approximately 20% over a 24-hour period amidst a broader outperformance by privacy coins relative to the wider cryptocurrency market.
