Zcash Activates NU7 Upgrade on Public Testnet, Targeting Faster Block Times
Zcash has activated its NU7 network upgrade on the public testnet, specifically at block 4,465,026 on October 4 at 18:21:45 UTC. This upgrade aims to significantly reduce block spacing from 75 seconds to 25 seconds, which is intended to improve transfer times for payments, deposits, and cross-chain transactions. A key component of NU7 is the Network Sustainability Mechanism, which reallocates 60% of transaction fees from the system into an account designated for future emission costs, rather than being entirely removed from circulation. Additionally, the NU7 upgrade has disabled version 4 transactions, impacting ZEC held in the legacy Sprout shielded pool, as Sprout withdrawals rely on these transactions. Users with funds in the Sprout system will need to transfer them before the mainnet activation to maintain spending capabilities through the existing system. Zcash developers have scheduled a final decision on mainnet activation for October 20, with a target mainnet launch date of November 5.
