Zcash ZIP editors have agreed on block 3,543,405 as the NU7 upgrade trigger, giving node operators and holders of funds in the network’s original privacy pool an activation point to prepare for.
The editors merged the height into ZIP 259 on Oct. 21, following earlier EconoTimes coverage of the proposed activation block. ZIP 259 still carries a Proposed status. The NU7 timeline targets Nov. 5 for mainnet, but the network change takes effect at the specified block rather than at a fixed time.
The Zcash Foundation has released Zebra 7.0.0 with support for NU7 on mainnet. Operators running Zebra need to install a mainnet-compatible release before activation to remain on the upgraded chain. The release does not mean the upgrade has taken effect.
NU7 would shorten Zcash’s target interval between blocks to 25 seconds from 75 seconds. ZIP 218 says faster first confirmations are intended to help payments, exchange deposits and cross-chain operations. It also sets limits on Sprout and Sapling outputs to address the added work of wallet synchronization and validation.
Sprout holders face a more immediate consequence. At activation, the network will reject version 4 transactions, the format needed to spend funds in Zcash’s original privacy pool. Holders must move any remaining Sprout funds before that point or lose the ability to spend them.
Separately, Zcash (ZEC) stood at $1,286.58 in an Oct. 21 market snapshot taken at 8:22 a.m. ET (12:22 UTC), a 12.16% gain over 24 hours. Another reading at 7:49 p.m. ET (23:49 UTC) recorded $1,334.69 and a 5.9% 24-hour gain. The readings used different providers and measurement windows; they do not establish that NU7 drove the price change.
Zcash has shortened its block target before: the Blossom upgrade reduced it from 150 seconds to 75 seconds. For NU7, the next checkpoint is block 3,543,405, which the project’s timeline targets for Nov. 5.
