Zcash price in focus as NU7 upgrade nears block 3,543,405
Published on 11/04/2026 at 07:03 | Editorial responsibility: Rafael Müller, Editor-in-Chief AD HOC NEWSNU7 puts Zcash in focus
- Zcash developers merged a change setting NU7 mainnet activation at block 3,543,405, with the network expected to reach that height around November 5, 2026.
- NU7 is designed to reduce target block spacing from 75 seconds to 25 seconds and introduces changes to fees, shielded activity limits and transaction compatibility.
- Investing.com displayed ZEC at 1,192.81 US dollars when read on November 4, with a 20.16 billion US dollar market capitalization and 1.15 billion US dollars in 24-hour volume.
- Node operators need compatible software before activation, while legacy Sprout funds face a spending restriction after version 4 transactions become invalid.
The Zcash price is in focus ahead of the next major protocol change for the Zcash network. When read on November 4, 2026, Investing.com displayed ZEC at 1,192.81 US dollars. The same page showed a market capitalization of 20.16 billion US dollars, 24-hour volume of 1.15 billion US dollars and a market rank of 10.
The immediate focus is Network Upgrade 7, or NU7. A merged Zcash ZIPs pull request sets the mainnet activation height at block 3,543,405. Because activation is tied to a block rather than a fixed clock time, the timing can move with block production. The Zcash Foundation said in its Zebra 7.0.0 release notes that the height was planned for around November 5, 2026.
Faster blocks and revised rules
Under NU7, target block spacing is reduced from 75 seconds to 25 seconds. The Foundation describes this as a shorter average wait for a first confirmation, while stating that the daily issuance schedule remains unchanged through adjusted block rewards and halving intervals.
The upgrade also changes the treatment of transaction fees. The release notes state that 60 percent of each block's transaction fees will be removed from circulation and placed in a reserve, while miners retain the remaining 40 percent. A later reissuance mechanism is scheduled to begin at mainnet height 8,939,664.
There are operational consequences for the ecosystem. Mainnet node operators must upgrade to compatible software before block 3,543,405 to remain on the upgraded consensus chain. Once NU7 activates, version 4 transactions will no longer be valid. Since Sprout transfers depend on that transaction version, Sprout funds left in the pool will become unspendable, according to the Foundation's release notes. Version 5 and version 6 transactions remain valid.
What the Zcash price signals
The current quote places the Zcash price below the 52-week high of 1,686.17 US dollars shown by Investing.com, but well above the page's 52-week low of 187.85 US dollars. These figures describe a volatile trading range rather than a direct measure of NU7's eventual effect. Investors are likely to track activation progress, software readiness and the network's response to the revised transaction and fee rules.
Further background and subsequent updates are available on the Zcash topic page.
