Zcash’s 25-second blocks go live on public testnet ahead of schedule
Zcash has launched its NU7 network upgrade on the public testnet, featuring a significant reduction in block times from 75 seconds to 25 seconds. The update also introduces changes to transaction fee distribution and disables the legacy Sprout private-payment system ahead of a planned mainnet activation in November.
Why it matters
Faster block times improve transaction throughput and user experience for merchants and exchanges, while the fee restructuring ensures the long-term sustainability of mining rewards as ZEC issuance declines.
The upgrade, called NU7, switched on at block 4,465,026. Zakura, software that follows Zcash and checks its transactions, now lists the new rules as active on public testnet. Its earlier, separate testing network has been shut down.
Each block records a batch of payments. Producing them more frequently could shorten the wait for a merchant to accept a payment or an exchange to credit a deposit. A service waiting for three confirmations would face a targeted wait of about 75 seconds instead of 225, if it kept its confirmation requirement unchanged. Actual block times vary.
The test network uses coins without monetary value, giving developers and infrastructure operators somewhere to check the changes before they affect real ZEC.
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