Zcash NU7 Goes Live on Testnet With 25-Second Blocks, and…
By Tobi Opeyemi Amure
AI summary of the source article
Zcash NU7 has activated on the public testnet at block 4,465,026, slightly ahead of schedule. The upgrade reduces target block spacing from 75 seconds to 25 seconds, which cuts confirmation times for exchanges and payment processors while maintaining daily issuance by dividing per-block rewards by three. Under ZIP 235, 60% of transaction fees will be routed into a reserve, with reissuance delayed until 2031. Furthermore, the upgrade retires the legacy Sprout shielded pool, requiring holders to migrate funds. Developers will review the testnet deployment on October 20 to determine whether to proceed toward a targeted November 5 mainnet activation.
Why it matters
The upgrade significantly lowers confirmation wait times for exchanges and payment processors, while Sprout pool holders face losing standard spending access if they do not migrate before mainnet activation.
Key facts
- Zcash NU7 cuts target block spacing from 75 seconds to 25 seconds while keeping the daily ZEC emission and 21 million supply cap unchanged.
- Under ZIP 235, 60% of block transaction fees will be diverted into a reserve, with reissuance postponed until February 2031.
- The upgrade retires the original 2016 Sprout shielded pool and disables v4 transactions.