Zcash activates NU7 as faster blocks and fee recycling begin
Published on 11/06/2026 at 07:00 | Editorial responsibility: Rafael Müller, Editor-in-Chief AD HOC NEWSNU7 changes Zcash economics
- Zcash activated the NU7 upgrade at block 3,543,405 early on November 6, 2026.
- The upgrade cuts the target block interval from 75 seconds to 25 seconds and disables version 4 transactions.
- Sixty percent of transaction fees now go into the Network Sustainability Mechanism, while miners retain 40%.
- Investing.com displayed ZEC at 1,247.48 US dollars, with a market capitalization of 20.92 billion US dollars, when the page was read.
Zcash has activated its NU7 network upgrade, moving the privacy-focused blockchain into a new operating phase. According to CoinDesk, the upgrade went live at block 3,543,405, mined at 02:34 UTC on November 6, 2026. That corresponds to 03:34 in Berlin.
Faster blocks, new fee rules
NU7 reduces Zcash's target interval between blocks from 75 seconds to 25 seconds. This can shorten confirmation waits, although the practical time before funds become available still depends on the requirements of exchanges, merchants and other services. CoinDesk reported that the network was still adjusting after activation, with blocks averaging about 39 seconds in an early post-upgrade sample.
The upgrade also changes the treatment of transaction fees. As reported by Unchained, 60% of each block's fees now leave circulation and enter the Network Sustainability Mechanism, while miners keep 40%. Reissuance from the mechanism is set to begin at block 8,939,664, which Unchained places in 2031. The 21 million ZEC supply cap and the existing halving schedule remain in place.
Legacy transactions become unusable
NU7 drops support for version 4 transactions and sets limits on shielded activity per block. This affects the original Sprout privacy pool because Sprout transfers have no alternative transaction format under the new rules. Unchained reported that about 12,224 ZEC, valued at roughly 16 million US dollars at activation, remained in Sprout. Those coins can no longer be spent under the current network rules.
Zcash price and market context
The Zcash price remains volatile around the upgrade. The Investing.com Zcash page displayed 1,247.48 US dollars when read, alongside a 24-hour volume of 1.19 billion US dollars, a market capitalization of 20.92 billion US dollars and a reported rank of nine. Those figures are a snapshot from the quoted page rather than a UTC day-close comparison.
For the Zcash price, the immediate investor question is whether the technical upgrade translates into sustained network use rather than a short-lived event-driven move. Faster target blocks and fee recycling may strengthen the protocol's long-term infrastructure, but the effect on the token will depend on adoption, liquidity and the stability of the post-upgrade network.
Further reporting and updates are available on the Zcash topic page.
