Zcash activated NU7: blocks started coming out three times faster

Zcash activated the NU7 upgrade on the mainnet on November 5 at block 3 543 405. The target block interval was reduced from 75 to 25 seconds. This is the main change for miners and ZEC holders.

The upgrade did more than just speed up the network. It also changed the issuance rules so the pace of coin creation would not increase. That was exactly what the developers aimed for.

Why is NU7 important for Zcash?

NU7 changes the network’s rhythm. Blocks are now supposed to appear three times more often. As a result, transaction confirmations should become faster.

To keep issuance from accelerating, block subsidies were cut by a factor of three. And the number of blocks between halvings was increased threefold. The logic is simple: more blocks, smaller reward for each one.

According to CoinDesk, the NU7 activation block was mined on November 6, 2026 at 02:34 UTC. In the first roughly 2.5 hours, the network produced 225 blocks. The average interval at that time was about 39 seconds.

This is a normal start. Difficulty was still adjusting to the new target. For users, the main benefit is simple: transfers should confirm faster. For the network, it is also a stability test. What matters next is how it handles the new mode.

What exactly changed in issuance and fees?

The main idea behind NU7 is easy to understand without complex diagrams. If blocks come out 3 times faster, then the reward for each block should be smaller. Otherwise, ZEC would enter circulation too quickly.

That is why the block subsidy was reduced proportionally. And the halving schedule was stretched out. This keeps the overall issuance model closer to the previous version of the network.

There is another important consequence. NU7 launched the Network Sustainability Mechanism. According to ZecStats, miners now receive 40% of fees, while 60% of fees are temporarily taken out of circulation. They are to be paid out again through future block rewards starting from block 8 939 664, roughly from February 2031.

After NU7, the network became faster, but the ZEC economy did not accelerate at the same pace.

This is an important detail. Speed and money in the network now move under different rules. And that is where the market reaction begins.

Market reaction

The market reacted quickly. As of November 6, 2026, ZEC was trading at around $1 367,91 and was up 8,8% over 24 hours. The intraday range was $1 221,08–$1 379,38.

According to CoinMarketCap, ZEC’s market capitalization at the time was about $22,27 billion. The 24-hour volume was $1,52 billion. There were 16,95 million ZEC in circulation, while the maximum supply remains 21 million ZEC.

This is not surprising. Upgrades that change network speed and fee rules often boost speculative interest. But here it is important to look not only at the price. It is necessary to watch how the network handles the new mode over several days and weeks.

• The block interval was changed from 75 to 25 seconds.

• NU7 was activated on November 5 at block 3 543 405.

• The first 2.5 hours after the upgrade produced 225 blocks.

• The average interval at the start was about 39 seconds.

• Miners now receive 40% of fees.

• 60% of fees are temporarily taken out of circulation.

For those tracking ZEC and wanting to react quickly to price changes, it is convenient to sell Bitcoin on Monobank without extra steps.

What does this mean for investors?

For short-term traders, NU7 creates two things at once. First, a news-driven impulse. Second, the risk of sharp moves while the network shifts to a new rhythm.

For long-term holders, something else matters more. If blocks and fees work stably, Zcash will get a better technical base for private payments. If the load turns out to be higher than expected, the network will need time to adapt.

There is another interesting point. After NU7, the throughput of Orchard payments, according to ZIP 218 and the Zcash Foundation, increased from about 2.9 to 6.6 transactions per second. And the maximum synchronization load on light wallets from spam, by the same estimate, decreased by about 37%. This is no longer a cosmetic tweak, but a change that could affect the network’s daily use.

At the same time, the old private Sprout pool is effectively frozen after v4 transactions were disabled. According to ZecStats, it still contains about 12 224 ZEC. This is a separate topic for the community, because these funds cannot be spent without a future decision.

Frequently asked questions

What is NU7 in Zcash?

It is a Zcash mainnet upgrade that reduced the target block interval from 75 to 25 seconds. It also changed subsidy and fee rules to preserve the overall ZEC issuance pace.

Why are blocks coming out faster after NU7?

Because the network now targets 25 seconds instead of 75. At the start, the average interval was about 39 seconds because difficulty was still adjusting to the new mode.

Did the amount of ZEC issued change?

The overall issuance pace was meant to stay the same. That is why the block subsidy was reduced threefold and the number of blocks between halvings was increased threefold.

For the market, this upgrade matters not because of big words, but because of numbers. If Zcash holds the new rhythm, NU7 could become a notable milestone for the entire network. And for those who want to quickly exchange coins for hryvnia, it is convenient to sell Bitcoin on Monobank.

This material is not financial advice. Cryptocurrency trading involves significant risks. Part of this text was prepared with the help of artificial intelligence based on public sources and reviewed by our editorial team.