Zcash NU7 Upgrade Moves to Testnet Ahead of November Launch
Zcash has taken a significant step forward by activating its NU7 network upgrade on the testnet, a crucial phase ahead of its planned mainnet launch in November. The upgrade went live on the testnet with block 4,465,026 mined on October 4 at 18:21:45 UTC, as confirmed by the Zcash testnet block explorer ZecBlock and an official post on X.
NU7 introduces several key changes to the Zcash protocol, including a reduction in target block spacing from 75 seconds to 25 seconds. It also disables version 4 transactions and integrates a Network Sustainability Mechanism that redirects part of transaction fees into future block rewards. This upgrade has implications for users holding ZEC in the legacy Sprout shielded pool, as those funds will become unspendable unless moved before NU7 fully activates.
The Zcash Foundation has encouraged testnet operators to use the release candidate to test NU7 under real conditions. This testnet phase allows developers to assess the upgrade thoroughly before deciding on mainnet activation. A final decision on mainnet activation and its activation height is scheduled for October 20, with the mainnet rollout targeted for November 5.