Zcash to Cut Block Times by Three-Fold in November Upgrade

TL;DR

• Zcash developers are targeting November 5 for the NU7 mainnet activation.

• The upgrade is scheduled to launch on the testnet on October 6.

• NU7 would reduce Zcash’s target block time from 75 seconds to 25 seconds.

• ZEC gained approximately 10% in 24 hours as privacy coins outperformed the broader cryptocurrency market.

Zcash developers have tentatively scheduled the NU7 network upgrade for mainnet activation on November 5 following unanimous agreement among participating organizations and engineering teams.

Developer Sean Bowe said Thursday that NU7 is expected to activate on the Zcash testnet on October 6. 

NU7 is coming! All of the Zcash development orgs have come to unanimous agreement about the contents and timeline of our next network upgrade, following the sentiment collection results earlier this week.

Activation approximately November 5.

Learn more:https://t.co/3pSKptV9gO

— Sean Bowe (@ebfull) September 17, 2026

The test phase will allow developers to evaluate the upgrade’s performance and identify potential problems before deploying it on the main network.

A final decision on the mainnet launch and its precise activation block height is expected on October 20.

NU7 Would Cut Zcash Block Times to 25 Seconds

One of NU7’s most significant changes is a proposed reduction in Zcash’s target block spacing from 75 seconds to 25 seconds.

The shorter interval would allow the blockchain to produce blocks three times faster, potentially improving transaction-confirmation times and the overall user experience.

The upgrade would also disable version 4 transactions and introduce the Network Sustainability Mechanism.

Under the selected NSM configuration, Zcash would retain its current halving schedule. The network would begin reintroducing previously removed supply in February 2031.

Bowe said NU7 will not add new transaction formats and is therefore unlikely to cause substantial disruption for wallet providers or users. However, full-node operators, indexers and block explorers may need to make technical adjustments ahead of activation.

ZEC Holders Back Faster Blocks and Existing Halvings

Zcash holders expressed overwhelming support for the upgrade’s central proposals in voting conducted Wednesday.

Approximately 98.9% of participants supported preserving the network’s existing halving schedule. Meanwhile, 99.9% of the ZEC-weighted vote favored reducing the block interval to 25 seconds.

The strong results provide developers with a clear community mandate as they prepare NU7 for its testnet trial.

However, the November 5 date remains provisional. Any issues discovered during testing could affect the final activation height or delay the mainnet rollout.

Zcash Price Jumps 10% as Privacy Coins Outperform

The upgrade timeline arrived during a sharp rally in ZEC and the broader privacy-coin market.

ZEC gained approximately 10% over 24 hours on Thursday as privacy-focused cryptocurrencies significantly outperformed the wider digital-asset market.

Glassnode data showed that the privacy-coin sector had climbed 213% from its level at Bitcoin’s October 2025 peak. Even after excluding ZEC, the remaining basket of privacy assets was up about 85% over the past year.

The figures indicate that the sector’s strength extends beyond Zcash, although ZEC’s recent surge has amplified the broader advance.