Zcash Sets Block 3,543,405 for NU7 Upgrade Near Nov. 5

Zcash developers have selected block 3,543,405 as the activation height for the NU7 upgrade, targeting a launch around November 5, according to Coincentral. Developer Sean Bowe proposed the height on October 20 after Zcash Improvement Proposal editors reached agreement. The target remains provisional until the required software changes are finished.

Key facts

• NU7 is aimed at block 3,543,405, which developers estimate lands near November 5; Bowe’s proposal had two approvals as of Wednesday morning but had not entered the official deployment specification.
• The upgrade shortens the average time between blocks from 75 seconds to 25 seconds, so confirmations could arrive three times faster.
• A new fee rule takes 60% of transaction fees out of circulation when miners create blocks, recording them for later release to miners around February 2031 rather than destroying them.
• NU7 disables version 4 transactions, which support transfers out of the original Sprout shielded pool; holders must move funds to supported addresses before activation.
• NU7 has run on public testnet since early October, and ZEC has fallen roughly 30% over the past month, Coincentral reported.

What the upgrade changes for users and miners

Block timing is the most visible change. With blocks produced more often, a service that waits for three confirmations could see a deposit settle in about 75 seconds instead of nearly four minutes. Real-world timing will still depend on network conditions and each exchange’s own confirmation policy.

The fee arrangement is designed to keep the existing four-year halving schedule and the maximum ZEC supply intact, a reward structure holders previously backed. Instead of burning the withheld share permanently, the protocol timestamps it for distribution to miners starting around February 2031, when issuance is lower.

The Sprout change is the one with a hard deadline attached. Once version 4 transactions are switched off, coins still in that pool cannot be moved under the new rules. Newer shielded pools keep working, and NU7 does not introduce a new transaction format.

Why it matters

Confirmations measured in seconds rather than minutes matter to exchanges, payment processors and traders who price the risk of a deposit or withdrawal before it finalizes. For miners, the deferred fee share means reduced near-term revenue from fees in exchange for a later payout, while the halving cadence they rely on is left alone. The Sprout cutoff puts the burden on holders of the oldest shielded addresses: after activation there is no migration path under the new rules.

What to watch

The next concrete step is completion of the deployment specification and the final software changes behind it; until then, the November 5 estimate can shift. Sprout holders should treat the activation block as their own deadline rather than waiting for a formal announcement.

ZEC’s recent decline and the fee redesign do not point to a specific future price, and none should be inferred here. This is not financial advice, and crypto markets are volatile and uncertain.

Disclaimer: This article is for information only and is not investment, financial or trading advice. Cryptocurrency prices are highly volatile. Always do your own research.

Sources: CoinCentral, Crypto.news, Cryptobriefing