Zcash Prepares for NU7 Mainnet Upgrade with Faster Blocks and Sustainability Mechanism

Zcash developers are on track to activate the NU7 mainnet upgrade on November 5 after reaching a unanimous agreement on its contents and estimated timeline. The upgrade, which is currently scheduled for testnet activation on October 6, will reduce Zcash's target block spacing from 75 seconds to 25 seconds.

The upgrade also includes the integration of the Network Sustainability Mechanism (NSM), which preserves the halving schedule, with previously removed supply reintroduced in February 2031. According to Sean Bowe, a Zcash developer, NU7 will not introduce new transaction formats and should have minimal impact on wallets.

Holders of ZEC overwhelmingly supported the shorter block interval and preserving the halving schedule, with 98.9% voting in favor of keeping halvings and 99.9% supporting the faster-block proposal. The vote came amidst a surge in ZEC's price, which rose about 20% over 24 hours as privacy coins outperformed the wider market.