Zcash News Today: Testnet Speed Jumps From 75s to 25s, ZEC Near $1,315 As of October 3, 2026, Zcash news today comes from a node release rather than a price chart, which sets it apart in cryp
As of October 3, 2026, Zcash news today comes from a node release rather than a price chart, which sets it apart in crypto news today.
Per theZcash Foundation NU7 announcement, Zebra 7.0.0-rc.0 was published on October 2, 2026. It prepares the NU7 testnet, due at height 4,465,026, expected around October 6.
The release applies ZIP 218, which cuts target spacing from 75 seconds to 25 seconds.
That Zcash block time reduction means about 3,456 blocks daily instead of 1,152, and the ZIP expects first-confirmation waits to fall by close to three times.
BSCNews also covered this news inits tweet on X, saying NU7 will make blocks three times faster.
Zcash news today also includes a separate liquidity milestone, as theTHORChain ZEC pool went live on October 2.
Zebra 7.0.0-rc.0 is the first release candidate for the next Zcash network upgrade, NU7.
A release candidate is a test build issued before a final version. Zebra node software is written in Rust, and the release notes say mainnet operators are not required to upgrade.
Item
Before
After
ZEC block time
75 seconds
25 seconds
Daily blocks
1,152
3,456
Each reward
Full
One third
Issuance per day
Unchanged
Unchanged
The Zcash block time 25 seconds target also triples the remaining halving intervals, so issuance per day stays the same, according to the release notes.
The Zcash NU7 upgrade date for the public testnet is around October 6, 2026. Anyone searching for the Zcash testnet date should treat it as an estimate, since the notes only say expected.
Zcash news today confirms a testnet date only. The ZEC testnet is the sole network affected for now.
NU7 caps how many shielded actions each block can carry. The limits apply to Zcash shielded transactions, not to transparent parts of a transaction.
330 Orchard actions
330 Ironwood actions
300 Sapling inputs plus outputs
Zero Sprout JoinSplits
One shared budget of 330
ZIP 218 says the caps cut worst-case wallet sync bandwidth from about 271 MB to 169 MB a day, and lift Orchard-protocol throughput from 2.9 to 6.6 transactions per second. BSCNews described the limits as spam protection for wallets.
Testnet operators are encouraged to run the release before activation. This Zcash node upgrade is optional on mainnet, so Zcash node operators there need no action yet.
Keep a v28 database backup, because the release moves state to v29.0.0.
The migration runs automatically, with no resync.
Update direct database readers such as Zallet and Zaino to v29-compatible builds.
No. The release notes say no mainnet activation height is set yet, so the mainnet date remains unannounced.
Data from CoinGecko, as of October 3, 2026:
Metric
Value
Price
$1,315.12
24h change
-5.3%
Market cap
$22.309B
24h volume
$800.081M
The Zcash privacy coin ranks #10. ZEC market cap stands at $22.309B, while ZEC trading volume reached $800.081M. In Zcash news today, no source links the 24-hour dip to the upgrade.
Analysts following crypto news may read the 25-second target as a usability change before a market one.
ZIP 218 names exchange deposits, small payments, and cross-chain bridges as areas that could benefit from quicker confirmations.
For anyone tracking ZEC news today, mainnet timing is the open question.
Readers wanting a Zcash update today should watch whether testnet spacing settles near 25 seconds after activation.
Price impact, if any, stays uncertain, and Zcash news today will likely turn on that result.
Disclaimer: This article is for information only and is not financial, legal, or investment advice. Crypto assets are volatile, and you can lose money. Verify details with official sources before making any decision.
