Zcash (ZEC) traded near the $1,400 level on September 17, 2026, booking double-digit daily gains and extending a 168% surge over the past month. The privacy coin, now holding a market capitalization of around $21 billion, has gained more than 2,500% over the past year. The price rally followed the results of the NU7 network upgrade vote published on Sunday.
The voting process saw a 66% voter turnout. Voting rights were granted exclusively to spendable shielded ZEC (spendable shielded ZEC) in the Ironwood pool at block 3,459,350 on August 24, 2026, using a one-coin, one-vote system. To preserve voter anonymity, each ballot was encrypted and split into 16 unlinkable parts before being tallied.
Majority Votes to Keep Legacy Model
Results showed that 98.9% of voters rejected the smooth issuance scheme (smooth issuance) and opted to maintain the Bitcoin-style halving model. Coin holders also agreed to reduce block times by 25 seconds, immediately sunset the legacy Sprout pool, and limit the scope of the upgrade to features ready by September 30.
A point of contention arose regarding the timeline for activating the network sustainability mechanism to recycle transaction fees back to miners. While an advisory panel pushed for the earliest possible activation, 96.6% of coin holders voted to postpone it until February 2031. The February 2031 schedule was ultimately agreed upon by Shielded Labs, Project Tachyon, ZODL, Zcash Foundation, and Valar Group.
Top Miner Prepares for Nasdaq Listing
On the mining front, Fortitude Mining Holdings minted 72,696 ZEC during the first six months ending June 2026. The Digital Currency Group (DCG)-owned mining firm produced approximately 28% of all newly minted coins on the network during that span. Its mining operations generated $20.9 million in second-quarter revenue, backed by over 60 megawatts of capacity across seven interstate facilities, including South Dakota, Nebraska, Texas, and New York.
Fortitude has appointed former Hut 8 executive Jaime Leverton as its new CEO effective September 21. The leadership shakeup comes as the company prepares to list on the Nasdaq via a merger with HeartSciences (HSCS), with the combined entity projected to reach a valuation of at least $400 million.
Narrative Shifts Toward Financial Privacy
Zcash’s price surge is underpinned by a broader shift in crypto market sentiment, evolving from a pursuit of pure anonymity to robust financial privacy infrastructure. Institutional capital access opened up after Grayscale launched its Zcash ETF product in August, paving the way for major investors who previously lacked direct investment exposure to the coin.
HashKey analyst Tim Sun noted that the market is currently redefining the value of privacy. Amid this new wave of narrative momentum, Zcash is positioning itself as the leading contender in its class. Source: Decrypt.
Also read: How to Read Candlestick Charts for Beginners
Previously: Zcash Surges 23% as Fed Raises Rates - Paradigm Boss Statement Sparks Rally
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.
