The Zcash Foundation has released Zebra 7.0.0, the first stable version of its node software to support NU7, the next network upgrade for @Zcash. Mainnet activation is planned for around Nove
The Zcash Foundation has released Zebra 7.0.0, the first stable version of its node software to support NU7, the next network upgrade for @Zcash. Mainnet activation is planned for around November 5, and node operators must upgrade before block 3,543,405 to stay on the main chain.
The headline change is speed. NU7 brings blocks every 25 seconds instead of every 75, according to the Zcash Foundation's release notes. If the network hits that target, any wait measured in confirmations shrinks to about a third, so three blocks would take roughly 75 seconds instead of nearly four minutes.
Faster blocks do not change how much $ZEC is created each day. The upgrade reduces issuance per block to one-third to keep total new issuance per day unchanged. That leaves the 21 million supply cap and four-year halving schedule unchanged.
NU7 also introduces a Network Sustainability Mechanism. Under ZIP 235, 60% of each block's transaction fees are removed from circulation into a reserve, while miners keep the other 40%. The accumulated reserve will be paid out as block rewards in a reissuance process scheduled to begin in February 2031, and the total supply cap will not change.
The upgrade also adds new shielded limits. The Zcash Foundation says these protect wallets from spam.
All mainnet node operators must upgrade before NU7 activates to stay on the consensus chain. After activation, NU7 nodes disconnect peers that run older versions, and nodes that have not upgraded will follow a different chain. The older Zebra 6.4.x series is also set to stop. Zebra 6.4.x is set to stop operating around Nov. 2.
Zebra 7.0.0 also includes other changes. The release brings faster, more reliable syncing near the chain tip and fixes seven security advisories. It migrates the state database to a new format the first time it starts.
Holders with funds in Sprout, Zcash's oldest privacy pool, should act before activation. Version 4 transactions become invalid once NU7 activates, and because Sprout transfers can only be written as version 4 transactions, any funds still in the pool become unspendable.
The activation date is an estimate based on block height, so the exact timing may shift slightly depending on how quickly blocks are produced before the switch. NU7 was switched on for the public testnet first, giving the network its first live run of 25-second blocks.
Zebra 7.0.0 Release, Zcash Foundation
Zcash NU7 Upgrade: Mainnet Height 3,543,405 Agreed, Altcoin Buzz
