The Zcash network has officially activated the NU7 upgrade on its testnet. According to the ZecBlock explorer, the activation occurred at block 4,465,026 on October 4, 2026, at 18:21:45 UTC. This deployment allows developers to evaluate the protocol changes in a live environment several weeks before the scheduled mainnet rollout.
A key feature of the NU7 upgrade is the reduction of the target block spacing from 75 seconds to 25 seconds. Additionally, the update disables version 4 transactions and introduces a Network Sustainability Mechanism. This mechanism is designed to recycle a portion of transaction fees back into future block rewards for the network.
The Zcash Foundation has advised testnet operators to utilize the current release candidate to conduct testing under real-world conditions. This phase is critical for developers to assess the stability and performance of the new protocol changes before moving forward with the final implementation on the mainnet.
The final decision regarding the mainnet activation and the specific activation height is scheduled for October 20. Developers will base this decision on the performance data gathered during the testnet phase. The current target date for the full mainnet activation of the NU7 upgrade is set for November 5.
