Zcash 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
- #3,540,384
- Blocks remaining
- 866,016
- Current block subsidy
- 1.5625 ZEC
- Next block subsidy
- 0.78125 ZEC
Current block from Blockchair's public Zcash stats, page built Nov 3, 2026, 11:24 UTC. The height is refreshed about every two minutes, so it can trail the newest block by a few blocks.
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
- • ZIP 259 sets the NU7 mainnet activation height at block 3,543,405 (expected around November 5–6, 2026 at 75-second blocks; an estimate).
- • It introduces 25-second target block spacing.
- • It preserves Zcash's discrete halving schedule.
- • Under NU7 rules, ZIP 259 puts the third halving at block 6,132,390 instead of 4,406,400.
- • NU7 is not active on mainnet yet, so the figures above still use today's rules.
- • We'll update this calculation once NU7 activates on mainnet.
For NU7's current, continuously verified status, see the Zcash Network Upgrade Tracker.
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 (75-second blocks). If NU7 activates first, ZIP 218 (Draft) would move the target block and divide the per-block subsidy by 3 (0.52083333 ZEC before and 0.26041666 ZEC after the third halving), while keeping the calendar timing about the same.
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 (a separate proposal, ZIP 234). ZIP 259, NU7's deployment specification (Proposed), sets the mainnet activation height at block 3,543,405; at 75-second blocks that is expected around November 5–6, 2026, an estimate rather than a fixed date. NU7 is not active on mainnet yet, so the figures on this page reflect only the consensus rules active on Zcash mainnet today. See Zcash NU7 Explained for the full subsidy math: ZIP 218 divides the per-block subsidy by 3, the same factor as the block-time cut.
Primary sources: ZIP 218, Zcash Protocol Specification, and Zcash Network Info.
Common questions
What is a Zcash halving?
A protocol-scheduled event that cuts the ZEC block subsidy — the new ZEC paid out for each mined block — roughly in half. It's how Zcash's fixed 21 million ZEC max supply is reached gradually rather than all at once.
Why do halvings exist?
Every ZEC in circulation started as a block subsidy. Without periodic cuts to that subsidy, new ZEC would keep entering circulation forever with no fixed supply. Halvings are how the issuance curve tapers toward zero.
How is Zcash's halving different from Bitcoin's?
The underlying idea — cut the block subsidy roughly in half on a schedule — is the same model Bitcoin uses. Zcash's block subsidy is also split between miners and on-chain development funding (currently about 80% miners, 20% to Zcash Community Grants and a protocol-controlled lockbox), where Bitcoin's subsidy goes entirely to miners.
When was the last Zcash halving?
November 23, 2024, at block height 2,726,400, alongside the NU6 network upgrade — cutting the subsidy from 3.125 to 1.5625 ZEC.
Will the NU7 network upgrade change this countdown?
Yes, once it activates. ZIP 259 sets NU7's mainnet activation height at block 3,543,405 (at 75-second blocks expected around November 5–6, 2026; an estimate, the height decides). NU7 introduces 25-second block spacing and keeps Zcash's discrete halving schedule; under its rules ZIP 259 puts the third halving at block 6,132,390 instead of 4,406,400, at about the same calendar time. NU7 is not active on mainnet yet, so this page shows the estimate under today's active consensus rules and will be updated once NU7 activates.
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