Zcash Mining Surges as ZEC Price Hits Multi-Year Highs

Zcash mining has seen an unexpected surge as the price of ZEC climbed near multi-year highs, reaching around $870 this week. This significant increase in price has prompted miners to switch on idle equipment and expand their fleets, leading to a substantial boost in network computing power.

The Zcash hashrate hit mid-to-high 20s GSol/s, with some trackers printing readings near 27 to 29 GSol/s, putting network activity at its highest levels on record. Bitmain's Z15 Pro is the dominant force behind this expansion, producing around 840 kilosolutions per second while pulling roughly 2,780 watts.

Miners are now facing another subsidy squeeze with the late-2028 halving, which will see the total block subsidy drop to 0.78125 ZEC. The average buyer may struggle to get a Z15 miner as Antminer Z15 Pro ASICs are officially sold out, pushing buyers into secondhand markets and independent shops.

Currently, Zcash miners sit atop the ASIC profitability charts, but the real test is whether ZEC can hold prices that keep those machines profitable once difficulty catches up. Miners are also watching Zcash's potential NU7 changes and the late-2028 halving.