TLDR
- ZEC rose ~20% in 24 hours, hitting a new all-time high above $1,480
- Developers targeting Nov. 5 for NU7 mainnet activation
- NU7 will cut block times from 75 seconds to 25 seconds
- 99.9% of ZEC holders voted in favor of the faster block proposal
- Futures Open Interest climbed to 2.3 million ZEC, reflecting growing retail demand
Zcash developers have set a target of Nov. 5 for the NU7 mainnet upgrade, after reaching unanimous agreement among organizations and engineering teams on its contents and timeline.
$ZEC | NU7 GOVERNANCE UPDATE
Zcash holders have voted in favor of reducing block target spacing from 75 seconds to 25 seconds under the proposed NU7 upgrade.
The vote also supports retaining Zcash’s Bitcoin-style halving schedule, preserving its existing monetary policy.— Crypto Patel (@CryptoPatel) September 17, 2026
Developer Sean Bowe announced the upgrade is scheduled to activate on the testnet on Oct. 6. A final mainnet decision is set for Oct. 20, pending a review of testnet performance.
NU7 will reduce Zcash’s block spacing from 75 seconds to 25 seconds. It will also disable version 4 transactions and integrate the Network Sustainability Mechanism (NSM).
The NSM configuration preserves Zcash’s halving schedule. Previously removed supply will be reintroduced starting in February 2031.
Bowe confirmed NU7 will not introduce new transaction formats and should have minimal impact on wallets. Full nodes, indexers, and block explorers may need adjustments.
ZEC holders voted overwhelmingly in support of the upgrade. 99.9% backed the faster block proposal, and 98.9% voted to preserve the halving schedule.
ZEC Price Hits All-Time High
ZEC surged roughly 20% in 24 hours on Thursday, tagging a new all-time high above $1,480. Privacy coins as a sector outperformed the wider market, trading 213% above their level at Bitcoin’s October 2025 peak, according to Glassnode data.
Analyst Ali Charts noted the momentum, saying on X that ZEC “keeps pushing higher” and is moving toward a first target of $1,800, which he identified as the next key level to watch.
Zcash $ZEC keeps pushing higher.
Momentum remains strong, and price continues moving toward my first target at $1,800.
That’s the level I’m watching next. https://t.co/I5jPPSmaMg pic.twitter.com/Ck04XOUmU4
— Ali Charts (@alicharts) September 17, 2026
ZEC is trading above $1,400, well above its 50-day, 100-day, and 200-day EMAs at $869, $710, and $571. The SuperTrend support sits at $1,005.
Retail Demand and Derivatives Data
Futures Open Interest rose to 2.3 million ZEC on Thursday, up from 1.76 million ZEC the day before, the lowest level since Aug. 10. That climb reflects growing retail participation.
The OI-Weighted Funding Rate has turned negative for nearly two days. This suggests bulls are no longer paying a premium to hold positions.
The RSI sits at 71, in overbought territory. The MACD remains positive, pointing to continued upward momentum.
Key support levels sit at $1,400 and $1,200, with structural support at $1,005. No major overhead resistance appears on the daily chart.
The final decision on NU7’s mainnet activation height is scheduled for Oct. 20.
