Zcash NU7 Mainnet Upgrade Targets November 5 Activation Date

Zcash developers have finalized plans for the NU7 mainnet upgrade, targeting November 5 as the activation date. The decision comes after unanimous agreement among ecosystem engineering teams on a package featuring 25-second blocks, version 4 transaction deactivation, and a Network Sustainability Mechanism.

The testnet deployment is scheduled for October 6, with developers planning to review its performance before making a final mainnet decision on October 20. If the review goes smoothly, the November 5 date will proceed as planned.

One of the key features of NU7 is the reduction in block spacing from 75 seconds to 25 seconds, which would produce roughly three times as many blocks over the same period. This change aims to improve payments, exchange deposits, and cross-chain operations that currently wait for one or more block confirmations.

Version 4 transactions will be disabled at activation, preventing further spending from legacy Sprout funds. This decision follows Zcash's migration towards Sapling, Orchard, and the newer Ironwood architecture, which became active with NU6.3 earlier in 2026.