Zcash Network Upgrade Tracker
What's live on Zcash mainnet right now, what's confirmed to come next, and what's still just a proposal — kept clearly separate, with a source for every date.
Facts on this page last independently verified October 23, 2026.
NU6.3 — Ironwood
Activated July 28, 2026
Mainnet activation height: #3,428,143
A new shielded pool, developed after a critical soundness bug was found in Orchard's proof circuit in May 2026, active on mainnet since block height 3,428,143. Its governing ZIPs remain formally listed as Draft — see the note below for what that does, and doesn't, tell you.
ZIP 258, and its companion ZIPs 318 and 326, remain formally listed as Draft in the current zcash/zips specification repository — a document status, separate from whether the upgrade is active on the network.
What this means for ZEC users
- New shielded activity moves through the Ironwood pool now, not Orchard.
- Existing Orchard balances remain safe and spendable; a turnstile limits new withdrawals from Orchard to what was genuinely deposited there.
- Nothing to act on — this happened automatically at the node/network level, the same way every prior Zcash upgrade has activated.
Technical details
ZIP status — Draft
As of October 18, 2026, the zcash/zips repository's README index reads "The most recent settled Network Upgrade on Mainnet is NU6.3, which activated at Mainnet block height 3428143," while still listing ZIP 258, 318, and 326 as Status: Draft. That Draft status does not mean Ironwood is inactive: Zebra's own release notes unconditionally describe the activation rule taking effect at block height 3,428,143, and independent reporting describes real ZEC having moved into the new pool since. We don't have a source explaining why the ZIP status hasn't advanced — see our full writeup for the complete picture and sources.
Relevant ZIPs
NU7
Targeted for November 5, 2026 (target, not yet confirmed)
Mainnet activation height: #3,543,405
Zcash's next upgrade: 25-second blocks (down from 75) with the existing halving schedule kept, as backed by the September 2026 coinholder vote. NU7 is already active on testnet: the testnet activation height set in ZIP 259, block 4,465,026, was reached on October 4, 2026. For mainnet, ZIP 259 (now Proposed) sets activation height 3,543,405, and Zebra 7.0.0 (October 22, 2026) is the node release that activates NU7 there. NU7 also removes 60% of transaction fees from circulation for later reissuance (ZIP 235 + ZIP 237) and retires version 4 transactions (ZIP 2003). NU7 is not active on mainnet yet: at 75-second blocks that height is expected around early November 2026 (roughly November 5–6), an estimate only — the height, not the date, decides.
What this means for ZEC users
- Blocks would arrive ~3x faster — about every 25 seconds instead of 75 — once active on mainnet.
- The halving schedule and 21M ZEC max supply don't change; 60% of fees are set aside and reissued later instead of going to miners.
- ZEC still in the old Sprout pool would become unspendable once NU7 activates — move it before then.
- Testnet went first and activated NU7 at block 4,465,026 on October 4, 2026; mainnet activates at block 3,543,405, expected around November 5–6 at 75-second blocks — an estimate, not a guarantee.
Technical details
Relevant ZIPs
Sources
- ZIP 259: Deployment of the NU7 Network Upgrade (Status: Proposed)
- ZIP 218: 25-second Block Target Spacing (Status: Proposed)
- ZIP 237: NSM — Halving-Preserving Issuance (Status: Proposed)
- Zebra 7.0.0 release notes (October 22, 2026) — NU7 on mainnet at height 3,543,405
- Zebra 7.0.0-rc.0 release notes — NU7 on testnet at height 4,465,026
- Zcash Foundation engineering update, October 6, 2026 — NU7 live on testnet since October 4; Zebra 6.4.x stops around November 2
- ZecZcash — Zcash NU7 Explained: 25-Second Blocks, ZIP 218 & What Changes
- CoinDesk — Zcash holders back faster blocks and existing halving schedule
Beyond NU7 and the NU6.3 report above, we're not tracking a separate slate of early-stage proposals here. See the official zcash/zips repository for every Zcash Improvement Proposal under discussion.
Past Network Upgrades
| Upgrade | Activated | Mainnet height |
|---|---|---|
| NU6.2 | June 3, 2026 | #3,364,600 |
| NU6.1 | November 23, 2025 | #3,146,400 |
| NU6 | November 23, 2024 | #2,726,400 |
For the full history back to Zcash's 2016 launch, see Zcash Network Upgrades: A Complete Timeline.
How this tracker works & FAQ
A network upgrade is a coordinated, scheduled change to Zcash's consensus rules, defined through Zcash Improvement Proposals (ZIPs). See Zcash Network Upgrades: A Complete Timeline for the full history.
Status labels
- Confirmed — activated on mainnet.
- Targeted — not yet activated on mainnet; an official target exists, and the activation height may already be set.
- Proposed — a ZIP exists, under discussion, no committed date.
- Draft — early-stage, may never ship.
We never show a proposed or targeted date, height, or feature as confirmed. Mainnet activation (what the network actually enforces) and a ZIP's own formal status in the official zcash/zips specification are tracked and shown separately — see the NU6.3 card above for an example where they currently differ.
FAQ
What is a Zcash network upgrade?
A coordinated, scheduled change to Zcash's consensus rules that every full node and miner adopts at the same block height, defined by Zcash Improvement Proposals (ZIPs).
When is the next Zcash network upgrade (NU7)?
NU7 activated on Zcash testnet first, at block 4,465,026 on October 4, 2026. For mainnet, ZIP 259 sets activation height 3,543,405, and Zebra 7.0.0 activates NU7 there. It is active on mainnet only once the chain reaches that height — at 75-second blocks around November 5–6, 2026. The date is an estimate; the height decides.
What does NU7 change?
Mainly cutting Zcash's target block time from 75 to 25 seconds — about 3x faster blocks — while keeping the existing halving schedule, as a September 2026 coinholder vote backed. It also sets aside 60% of transaction fees for later reissuance (ZIP 235 and ZIP 237) and retires version 4 transactions, which makes ZEC left in the old Sprout pool unspendable.
Independently maintained by ZecZcash, not Electric Coin Company, the Zcash Foundation, or Zcash Open Development Lab. Facts last verified October 23, 2026. Spotted something outdated? Contact us or the @ZecZcash Telegram channel.
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