Zcash price in focus after NU7 activates on mainnet

The Zcash price is in focus after the network's NU7 upgrade activated at mainnet block 3,543,405. The Block reported the activation on November 6 and said the upgrade reduces the target block interval from 75 seconds to 25 seconds. The event occurred at the protocol's defined block height rather than at a fixed clock time.

NU7 activates new fee rules

NU7 activates the Network Sustainability Mechanism, which removes 60 percent of transaction fees from circulation and places them in a public reserve. Miners retain the remaining 40 percent. According to Yahoo Finance, the reserved ZEC is scheduled to be reissued gradually through future block rewards beginning in 2031. The Block identifies block 8,939,664 as the planned starting point for that reissuance.

The upgrade keeps Zcash's 21 million ZEC supply cap and scales block subsidies down as block production accelerates, leaving the issuance rate essentially unchanged. For investors, the immediate significance is therefore less about a sudden change in the supply ceiling than about how the new mechanism may support long-term network security as block rewards decline.

Legacy Sprout funds become inaccessible

NU7 also disallows version 4 transactions. Because the original Sprout shielded pool relies on that transaction format, ZEC remaining there can no longer be spent under the upgraded rules. The Block reported that approximately 12,224 ZEC were still in the pool at activation, while Yahoo Finance described the locked holdings as worth about 16 million US dollars. This creates a permanent access issue for affected holders unless a later protocol change restores that functionality.

Price remains volatile

Investing.com displayed ZEC/USD at 1,247.48 USD during the review, alongside a 20.92 billion USD market capitalization, 1.19 billion USD in 24-hour volume and 16.95 million ZEC in circulation. The page also showed a 21 million ZEC maximum supply. The Block separately reported ZEC at 1,254.70 USD at 2:05 a.m. Eastern time on November 6, down 5.17 percent over 24 hours. These readings are from different times and sources and should not be treated as a single synchronized quote.

With NU7 now live, market attention is likely to remain on network stability, fee flows and the practical effects of faster blocks. The upgrade is a material protocol change, but it does not by itself establish a direction for the ZEC price. More Zcash coverage is available on the Zcash topic page.