Overview
- NU7 activated on the public testnet on Monday, Oct. 5, placing ZIP 218, ZIP 235/237 and the Sprout retirement rules into live testing so implementations can follow the same chain.
- ZIP 218 shortens the target block time from 75 seconds to 25 seconds, which cuts the average wait for a first confirmation but requires services to keep up with a tripled block rate.
- The Network Sustainability Mechanism in ZIP 235 and ZIP 237 directs 60% of transaction fees into a reserve for future block rewards while keeping Zcash’s four-year halving rhythm and 21 million supply cap intact.
- NU7 disables legacy v4 transactions and retires the Sprout shielded pool, which means holders with funds in Sprout must move them before any mainnet activation or those funds could become unspendable.
- Developers will review testnet results on Oct. 20 to decide whether to set a mainnet activation height and proceed toward the Nov. 5 target, with this rollout following a coinholder-backed design and recent Ironwood upgrades.