Zcash just made its blocks three times more frequent. For now, that only applies on a network where the coins aren’t worth anything.
The NU7 upgrade switched on at block 4,465,026 on Zcash’s public test network. It cuts the targeted wait between batches of transactions from 75 seconds to 25 and starts a public trial ahead of a planned November rollout.
Zakura, software that follows Zcash and checks its transactions, now lists the new rules as active on public testnet. It has shut down its earlier, separate testing network.
What 25 seconds gets you
Each block records a batch of payments. If blocks arrive more often, a merchant waiting to accept a payment or an exchange waiting to credit a deposit could spend less time waiting.
Here’s how that works out. A service that requires three confirmations would face a targeted wait of about 75 seconds instead of 225, as long as it kept that confirmation requirement unchanged. That condition matters, because exchanges set their own thresholds.
The 25-second figure is also a target. Actual block times vary, so expect some blocks to come in faster than that and some slower.
The supply math stays put
Faster blocks would not triple the creation of new coins. The scheduled reward per block falls to one-third, which preserves the issuance schedule.
NU7 also changes where transaction fees go. Miners receive 40%. The remaining 60% is removed from circulation and recorded in a reserve intended to fund future mining rewards.
That reserve covers a long-term problem. The rewards pay miners to keep checking transactions as the amount of newly issued ZEC declines, so the fee split is about keeping miners paid years from now.
Sprout holders have a deadline
The upgrade disables transactions used by Sprout, Zcash's oldest private-payment system. If you still have funds sitting there, you’d need to move them before mainnet activation to keep the ability to spend them through the existing system.
If you’ve been ignoring an old Sprout balance, you’re running out of time to deal with it.
Both node programs are on board
Zakura released its implementation Oct. 1. The Zcash Foundation published a test version of Zebra the following day, so both major node programs now support the trial.
Operators need compatible software to follow the upgraded test network. Because the test network uses coins without monetary value, developers and infrastructure operators can check the changes before they affect real ZEC.
November isn’t locked in
Developers plan to review the test results and decide on mainnet activation Oct. 20. Nov. 5 remains the target.
But no mainnet activation block has been set yet. Until that number exists, 25-second Zcash blocks only run on a network where nothing is worth spending.
