Zcash officially activated the Network Upgrade 7 (NU7) consensus upgrade at block 3,543,405 on Nov. 6, 2026, at approximately 02:34 UTC. The update alters core block production parameters by reducing the target interval from 75 seconds to 25 seconds. The threefold increase in block creation speed boosts Orchard’s estimated transaction capacity from 2.9 to 6.6 transactions per second.
During the initial hours following activation, average block times hovered around 39 seconds as mining difficulty adjustments were still underway across the network. This shift in block rhythm coincided with the deprecation of transactions on the network’s first-generation privacy system.
12,224 ZEC Permanently Locked in Sprout Pool
NU7 disabled version 4 (v4) transaction formats. This consensus move permanently locks the remaining 12,224 ZEC in the legacy Sprout privacy pool, rendering the funds unspendable under current consensus rules.
Based on ZEC’s market price of $1,250 at activation, the locked Sprout coins are valued at roughly $15.3 million. This updates an earlier estimate of around $16 million reported before the upgrade rolled out to the network.
On the other hand, private wallet users gain daily download efficiencies. NU7 caps shielded transaction activity, slashing daily download requirements for private wallets from a worst-case scenario of 271 MB down to 169 MB.
New Revenue Split for Miners
The reduction in block duration to 25 seconds is balanced by an adjustment to mining rewards. Per-block rewards were proportionally reduced to prevent ZEC’s daily emission schedule from multiplying, maintaining the maximum supply cap of 21 million ZEC.
New transaction fee distribution rules have also taken effect. Miners now receive 40% of transaction fees, with 60% directed to the Network Sustainability Mechanism (NSM) to support future miner rewards starting around February 2031.
Market Correction Amid Global Downturn
Despite the consensus upgrade activating at the network level, ZEC’s price pulled back nearly 6% over 24 hours to $1,250 amid broader weakness in the global crypto market. Daily trading volume for ZEC stood at $1.33 billion during the consensus transition.
For owners of the 12,224 ZEC in the Sprout pool, those funds worth $15.3 million are now officially unspendable under current consensus rules. Meanwhile, for miners and network users, the cut to a 25-second block interval and the 60% transaction fee allocation to the NSM represent new parameters operating through 2031.
Reported by crypto.news.
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Disclaimer: This article is for informational and educational purposes only, not financial advice. Cryptocurrency assets are highly volatile and carry significant risk. Always do your own research (DYOR) and never invest more than you can afford to lose.
