ZEC holders voted 99.9% to cut block times from 75 to 25 seconds for NU7, while 97% backed delaying t.he Network Sustainability Mechanism until February 2031
Zcash & Blockchain Governance News
Zcash (ZEC) token holders have set a clear direction for the network's next major upgrade, according to results published Monday from a coinholder sentiment poll on the NU7 upgrade. Voting power was determined by spendable ZEC held in the Ironwood shielded pool at the time of the snapshot.
Block Time Cut From 75 to 25 Seconds
The proposal to reduce the network's target block time from 75 seconds to 25 seconds received 99.9% of the ZEC-weighted vote, a figure that includes abstentions. Shorter block times would lower the expected wait for a transaction's first confirmation. To keep total daily ZEC issuance unchanged, the amount of ZEC released per block would be reduced proportionally. A separate question on preserving Zcash's existing halving schedule passed with 98.9% support. Halvings are events that cut new coin issuance by half at set intervals.
Token holders also voted to exclude any features not ready by Sept. 30. Developers plan to ship final NU7 items by that deadline. No testnet or mainnet activation date has been set. The coinholder poll ran independently from advisory group surveys. Among the Zcash Community Advisory Panel, the split was much narrower; 57 members backed replacing halvings with a gradual issuance curve, while 54 preferred keeping the existing schedule. The winning coinholder position would also allow ZEC previously removed from circulation to re-enter through future block rewards.
97% Back Delaying NSM Until February 2031
The Network Sustainability Mechanism (NSM) was the other major item on the NU7 agenda. It was introduced in January 2026 to address concerns about Zcash's long-term security budget. The concern is that declining block rewards may eventually fall below the level needed to keep miners incentivized to validate transactions. NSM would address this by recycling 60% of ZEC transaction fees into future block rewards. The total supply would remain capped at 21 million ZEC.
About 97% of token holders voted to delay NSM reissuance until February 2031. Approximately 2.3 million ZEC supported the delay. Around 70,239 ZEC voted to begin the mechanism as soon as possible. The gap between the two sides reflects broad community preference for preserving the existing issuance structure for now.
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ZEC gained 3.8% in the 24 hours after the results were published, according to CoinMarketCap data. That move extended a 132% rally recorded over the prior month. The NU7 upgrade has no confirmed activation date on either testnet or mainnet.
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