Zcash Upgrade Could Triple Transaction Speed as ZEC Faces Crypto Governance Turmoil

Zcash plans to activate its NU7 network upgrade at block height 3,543,405 around November 5, cutting the target block time from 75 seconds to 25 seconds and shortening the wait for three confirmations from nearly four minutes to about 75 seconds. The upgrade also introduces limits on shielded transactions and moves 60% of transaction fees into a reserve, while preserving the 21 million ZEC supply cap. Separately, co-founder Sean Bowe proposed ending the automatic 8% allocation of newly issued ZEC to the Zcash Community Grants program, which he said holds about $125 million, and redirecting it to a reserve for future mining rewards. ZEC was near $1,135 after an approximately 11% decline.