SKN | Zcash Holders Back 25-Second Blocks While Preserving Halving Schedule

• Nearly 100% of ZEC-weighted votes supported reducing Zcash’s target block time from 75 seconds to 25 seconds.
• Coinholders also backed maintaining the existing ZEC halving schedule, with 98.9% supporting the option.
• Around 97% of token-holder voting power favored delaying Network Sustainability Mechanism reissuance until February 2031.

Zcash Community Supports Faster Block Times

Zcash token holders have strongly supported changes to the network’s block-production schedule as part of the proposed NU7 upgrade.

The coinholder vote backed reducing Zcash’s target block interval from 75 seconds to 25 seconds. The faster-block proposal received 99.9% of ZEC-weighted votes, with the reported percentage including abstentions.

The shorter interval is designed to reduce the expected waiting time for a transaction’s first confirmation. To prevent the faster block schedule from increasing the rate of new ZEC entering circulation, the amount of ZEC issued per block would be reduced while maintaining scheduled daily issuance.

The activation date for NU7 has not yet been determined.

Coinholders Favor Keeping ZEC Halvings

ZEC holders also voted overwhelmingly to preserve the network’s existing halving schedule.

Approximately 98.9% of ZEC-weighted voting power supported keeping the current halving structure. Halvings periodically reduce the amount of newly issued ZEC, providing a predetermined framework for the cryptocurrency’s monetary issuance.

The preferred option would maintain the existing schedule while potentially allowing ZEC removed from circulation through a separate mechanism to be returned through future block rewards.

The result contrasted with a separate Zcash Community Advisory Panel poll, which showed a much closer division. The advisory panel recorded 57 members supporting a gradual issuance curve that would replace halvings, compared with 54 favoring their continuation.

NU7 Development Moves Toward September Deadline

The coinholder vote was conducted separately from polls involving ZecHub, the Zcash Community Advisory Panel and other community groups.

Voting eligibility was based on spendable ZEC held in the Ironwood shielded pool at the designated voting snapshot.

Developers are working toward a September 30 cutoff for determining which features will be included in NU7. Community voters favored excluding features that are not implemented by that deadline.

Testing and activation on Zcash testnet and mainnet have not yet been assigned a final date.

Holders Favor Delaying Network Sustainability Mechanism

Another significant issue considered for NU7 was the Network Sustainability Mechanism, or NSM, which proposes changes to Zcash’s long-term economic model.

The mechanism is intended to recycle a portion of transaction fees into a future pool rather than relying entirely on block rewards. The proposal emerged partly from concerns over the network’s long-term security budget as scheduled halvings reduce mining rewards.

Approximately 97% of token-holder voting power supported delaying NSM reissuance until February 2031.

The vote included roughly 2.3 million ZEC in favor of the delay, compared with approximately 70,239 ZEC supporting an earlier start.

The proposed mechanism would burn and recycle 60% of ZEC transaction fees into future block rewards while remaining within Zcash’s 21 million maximum supply.

ZEC Extends Monthly Rally

Zcash’s market performance has also strengthened alongside the governance developments.

ZEC was reported to be up 3.8% over the previous 24 hours, extending its one-month gain to approximately 132%.

The price movement comes as the community considers changes to both the network’s transaction confirmation experience and its longer-term issuance and security economics.

Outlook

The NU7 decisions point toward a Zcash upgrade focused on faster transaction confirmation while maintaining the established halving framework. The September 30 implementation cutoff and eventual testnet and mainnet activation dates will be important milestones as developers translate the community’s voting preferences into network changes. The longer-term impact will also depend on how the delayed Network Sustainability Mechanism evolves and how Zcash balances transaction economics, miner incentives and its fixed supply framework.