ZecZcashZcash Halving Countdown
Calculated live from the current Zcash mainnet block height and today's active consensus rules — not a fixed calendar date.
Current-Rules Target Block
#4,406,400
Current block
#3,488,052
Blocks remaining
918,348
Current block subsidy
1.5625 ZEC
Next block subsidy
0.78125 ZEC
The halving occurs at a protocol-defined block height. The calendar date is an estimate and can change with actual block production and network upgrades.
NU7 may change this countdown
- • NU7 mainnet is currently targeted for November 5, 2026.
- • It's expected to introduce 25-second target block spacing.
- • Current planning preserves Zcash's discrete halving schedule.
- • The final NU7 mainnet activation height hasn't been set yet.
- • Because of that, the block-height figures above may need to change.
- • We'll update this calculation once NU7's final consensus parameters are set.
What is a Zcash halving?
A Zcash halving is a protocol-scheduled event that cuts the block subsidy — the ZEC paid out to miners (and Zcash's development-funding mechanisms) for each mined block — roughly in half. It's the mechanism by which Zcash's fixed 21 million ZEC max supply is reached gradually over decades instead of all at once.
Why halvings exist
Every unit of ZEC ever issued started as a block subsidy. If that subsidy never changed, new ZEC would keep entering circulation forever with no fixed cap. Halvings are how Zcash gets from "some ZEC issued every block" to a hard stop at 21 million — by repeatedly cutting the subsidy until it eventually rounds down to nothing. This is a consensus rule every full node enforces, not a decision anyone makes block by block.
Zcash vs. Bitcoin halving mechanics
The core idea — cut the block subsidy roughly in half on a schedule — is the model Bitcoin pioneered and Zcash also uses. One real difference: Zcash's block subsidy isn't paid entirely to miners. Currently about 80% goes to miners and 20% toward Zcash's on-chain development funding (Zcash Community Grants and a protocol-controlled lockbox) — see How Zcash Mining Works for the full breakdown.
Previous Zcash halvings
| Event | Date | Block height | Subsidy change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st halving (Canopy) | Nov 18, 2020 | 1,046,400 | 6.25 → 3.125 ZEC |
| 2nd halving (NU6) | Nov 23, 2024 | 2,726,400 | 3.125 → 1.5625 ZEC |
| 3rd halving (estimated) | ~Nov 2028 | 4,406,400* | 1.5625 → 0.78125 ZEC |
* Under current consensus rules. NU7 may change the target block before the third halving occurs.
The Blossom upgrade (Dec 2019) also cut the subsidy, from 12.5 to 6.25 ZEC — but alongside a block-time change (150s → 75s) that kept ZEC issued per unit of time roughly unchanged, so it isn't counted as an official halving. See Zcash Halving Explained for the full history.
NU7 and the next halving
Zcash token holders voted in September 2026, with roughly 99.9% support, in favor of ZIP 218, part of a proposed network upgrade called NU7 that would cut block time from 75 to 25 seconds. A separate question in that same vote — roughly 98.9% in favor — chose to keep Zcash's existing discrete halving schedule rather than replace it with a smoothed issuance curve (an alternative proposal sometimes referred to as ZIP-234 (alt)). Exactly how NU7's final package fits together, including its activation height, is still being finalized ahead of a targeted November 5, 2026 mainnet date. The figures on this page reflect only the consensus rules active on Zcash mainnet today.
Primary sources: ZIP 218, Zcash Protocol Specification, and Zcash Network Info.
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