Zcash Locks In NU7 Timeline, Aims for Nov. 5 Mainnet Activation

Zcash developers have set the rollout schedule for NU7, the network's next major upgrade, targeting a Nov. 5 mainnet activation after a testnet launch on Oct. 6. The timeline was posted Sept. 17 on the Zcash Community Forum. The plan follows a coinholder vote supporting faster blocks while keeping Zcash's existing Bitcoin-style halving schedule. It also reflects unanimous alignment among the Zcash Foundation, Project Tachyon, Valar, ZODL and Shielded Labs. NU7 will cut the target block interval to 25 seconds from 75 seconds under ZIP218. With first confirmation tied to inclusion in a block, exchanges and bridges that rely on a fixed number of confirmations could release funds in roughly one-third the time, improving the practicality of direct private payments at the point of sale. The upgrade will also introduce a transaction-fee recycling feature and will disable the older v4 transaction format without adding new formats. Wallets are expected to need only limited adjustments, while full nodes, indexers and block explorers may require updates. NU7 follows other privacy-focused performance work, including Zakura Common's effort to accelerate Zcash proofs. NU7 additionally brings the Network Sustainability Mechanism to mainnet. Under ZIP235, about 60% of transaction fees would be temporarily removed from circulation rather than paid to miners, then reintroduced through block rewards starting in February 2031 as issuance declines through successive halvings. The coinholder vote drew roughly 2.4 million ZEC, or 66% of the eligible pool; 98.9% supported maintaining the halving schedule and 96.6% favored February 2031 as the fee reintroduction date. Next milestones include code completion by Sept. 30, testnet activation on Oct. 6, and a final mainnet decision on Oct. 20, when developers will select an activation height. Nov. 5 remains a target, not a confirmed launch date.