💡 Fact of the Week
Did you know? Zcash originally launched with a 150-second block target - six times longer than the 25-second target planned for NU7.
The first major reduction came with the Blossom upgrade in 2019, which cut the target from 150 to 75 seconds. NU7 is set to reduce it again to 25 seconds, meaning Zcash blocks will target confirmations three times faster than today and six times faster than at launch.
📩 In today’s edition
⚡ NU7 Gets Testnet and Mainnet Activation Dates
• NU7 is moving toward activation, with testnet scheduled for October 6 and mainnet targeted for November 5, bringing 25-second blocks, the retirement of legacy v4 transactions, and the Network Sustainability Mechanism.
🔐 Shielded Ledger Support Goes Live in Vizor
• Vizor has launched shielded ZEC support for Ledger hardware wallets on desktop and mobile, moving the integration from testing to a feature available to users.
🗳️ Q3 Retroactive Grants Voting Opens to ZEC Holders
• Shielded ZEC holders can now vote on completed work seeking retroactive funding through the Q3 Coinholder-Directed Retroactive Grants Program, with polling open until September 29.
⚡ Project Tachyon Maps Out the Path to Scalable Shielded Payments
• Project Tachyon published its development roadmap, outlining a path from Ragu and a new payment protocol toward more scalable shielded payments and a future shielded protocol for Zcash.
⛏️ Cypherpunk Mines Over 3,000 ZEC in Its First 14 Days
• Cypherpunk mined 3,023.13 ZEC during its first 14 days of Zcash mining operations, reporting 95% fleet uptime while adding hashrate to the network.
💼 Paradigm Discloses Investment in ZEC
• Paradigm co-founder Matt Huang revealed that the firm holds ZEC directly, alongside its previously disclosed investment in Zcash Open Development Lab (ZODL).
Zcash development teams have aligned on the scope and timeline for NU7, with testnet activation scheduled for October 6 and mainnet targeted for November 5.
The upgrade will introduce 25-second blocks, disable legacy v4 transactions, and integrate the Network Sustainability Mechanism following the recent sentiment polls. Code completion is targeted for September 30, with the final mainnet activation decision expected on October 20.
Shielded ZEC support for Ledger hardware wallets is now live in Vizor, moving the integration from testing to a feature available to users on desktop and mobile.
The release allows users to protect their ZEC with Ledger while using shielded transactions through Vizor, marking the next milestone after the wallet successfully demonstrated its first Ledger-signed shielded Zcash transaction earlier this month.
ZEC holders can now vote on the Q3 Coinholder-Directed Retroactive Grants Program, with polling open through September 29 at 20:00 UTC.
The program lets coinholders signal support for completed work seeking retroactive funding, with voting available through participating Zcash wallets. This marks the latest round of coinholder-directed funding, giving shielded ZEC holders a direct role in signaling which completed contributions should receive retroactive grants.
Project Tachyon has published its development roadmap, outlining the path toward scaling shielded payments on Zcash. The work will progress from Ragu and its recursive proof system to a new payment protocol designed to make private transactions more efficient and scalable.
Later stages will explore a new shielded protocol, including approaches to reduce transaction size and limit the growth of consensus state, with eventual Zcash mainnet integration as the long-term goal.
Cypherpunk mined 3,023.13 ZEC during its first 14 days of Zcash mining operations, from August 18 through August 31, while reporting 95% fleet uptime.
The company recently expanded into Zcash mining as part of its broader involvement with the network, adding dedicated infrastructure and computing power to its ZEC strategy. The first two weeks provide an early look at the scale of the operation as it ramps up.
Beyond adding another large-scale participant to Zcash mining, the operation also gives Cypherpunk direct exposure to newly issued ZEC while contributing hashrate to the network’s proof-of-work security.
Paradigm co-founder Matt Huang revealed that the crypto investment firm holds ZEC, confirming a direct position in the asset alongside its previously disclosed investment in Zcash Open Development Lab (ZODL). The size of Paradigm’s ZEC position was not disclosed.
Huang described Zcash as a “private complement to Bitcoin” and highlighted the importance of long-term funding for protocol development and security. Paradigm had already participated in ZODL’s $25 million seed round earlier this year, but this marks the first public confirmation that the firm also holds ZEC directly.