---
title: "Zcash developers set mainnet activation height for NU7 upgrade"
description: "CoinDesk reported that Zcash developers set the mainnet activation height for NU7, the network's next upgrade, and that ZEC jumped 11% to about $1,260, leading major cryptocurrencies. According to the report, NU7 cuts block times from 75 seconds to 25 seconds and directs 60% of transaction fees…"
language: en
canonical: "https://whycoinmoves.com/en/events/zcash-bitcoin-hovers-around-83-000-a795ebebb8a313"
published: 2026-10-21T04:07:57.000Z
updated: 2026-10-22T04:09:02.000Z
indexable: false
---

# Zcash developers set mainnet activation height for NU7 upgrade

CoinDesk reported that Zcash developers set the mainnet activation height for NU7, the network's next upgrade, and that ZEC jumped 11% to about $1,260, leading major cryptocurrencies. According to the report, NU7 cuts block times from 75 seconds to 25 seconds and directs 60% of transaction fees…

Attributed sources: [CoinDesk](<https://www.coindesk.com/markets/2026/10/21/bitcoin-hovers-around-usd83-000-as-ai-earnings-revive-tech-zec-jumps-11>)

## Key facts

CoinDesk reported that Zcash developers set the mainnet activation height for NU7, the network's next upgrade, and that ZEC jumped 11% to about $1,260, leading major cryptocurrencies. According to the report, NU7 cuts block times from 75 seconds to 25 seconds and directs 60% of transaction fees into a reserve paid out over time; it has run on the test network since early October.
Evidence strength: Single source, 1 publisher group(s) (CoinDesk); this describes source coverage, not truth or causation.
After site detection, observed returns were 5 minutes: +0.01% (difference from BTC +0.04 pp; 21/10/2026, 04:07 → 21/10/2026, 04:12, UTC; Gate · USDT); 1 hour: +0.12% (difference from BTC +0.01 pp; 21/10/2026, 04:07 → 21/10/2026, 05:07, UTC; Gate · USDT); 24 hours: +2.52% (difference from BTC +2.44 pp; 21/10/2026, 04:07 → 22/10/2026, 04:07, UTC; Gate · USDT). Unlisted windows are unavailable.
In the preceding 30 days, the 99th percentile of absolute hourly returns was 4.07% (OKX · USDT; cutoff 21/10/2026, 04:07, UTC). This hourly baseline is not directly comparable with a minute move.

## Returns after site detection

| Window | Return | BTC | Difference from BTC | Actual sampled interval (UTC) | Source |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 5 minutes | +0.01% | -0.02% | +0.04 pp | 21/10/2026, 04:07 → 21/10/2026, 04:12 | Gate · USDT |
| 1 hour | +0.12% | +0.11% | +0.01 pp | 21/10/2026, 04:07 → 21/10/2026, 05:07 | Gate · USDT |
| 24 hours | +2.52% | +0.08% | +2.44 pp | 21/10/2026, 04:07 → 22/10/2026, 04:07 | Gate · USDT |

## Historical hourly baseline

| Metric | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Ready | true |
| Coverage | 100.0% (720/720) |
| Median absolute hourly return | 0.55% |
| 99th percentile of absolute hourly returns | 4.07% |
| BTC beta | 1.91 |
| Source / cutoff (UTC) | OKX · USDT / 21/10/2026, 04:07 |

## Claims and open questions

- CoinDesk reported that Zcash developers set the mainnet activation height for NU7, the block at which every node switches to the new rules.
- Per CoinDesk, NU7 reduces block time from 75 seconds to 25 seconds, making payments confirm three times faster, and sends 60% of transaction fees into a reserve paid out over time.
- CoinDesk reported that ZEC jumped 11% to about $1,260 and has run on Zcash's test network since early October.
- What block height was set for NU7 mainnet activation, and did Zcash developers publish it directly?
- What payout schedule and governance govern the reserve that receives 60% of transaction fees under NU7?

## Source evidence

- [Bitcoin hovers around $83,000 as AI earnings revive tech, ZEC jumps 11%](<https://www.coindesk.com/markets/2026/10/21/bitcoin-hovers-around-usd83-000-as-ai-earnings-revive-tech-zec-jumps-11>) — CoinDesk; published 21/10/2026, 04:07; received 21/10/2026, 04:07 (UTC).


## Recent ZEC events and market reactions

- [Why did ZEC drop 0.74% in 1 minute? Evidence check: Zcash falls in a one-hour move as other tracked coins are mixed · 2026-10-23](<https://whycoinmoves.com/en/events/zcash-move-1792720080>) — Received 23/10/2026, 01:48 (UTC) · Cause unresolved · Market watch · 5m -0.50% / 1h -0.50%
- [Zakura proposes per-swap keys to stop future quantum computers linking Zcash swaps](<https://whycoinmoves.com/en/events/zcash-920831319c9771>) — Published 19/10/2026, 05:23 (UTC) · Multiple publishers (2 publishers) · General news · 5m +0.51% / 1h -0.39%
- [Full coin archive](<https://whycoinmoves.com/en/coins/zcash>)

## Recent Market watch events on other coins

- [SHIB: Why did SHIB go up 0.74% in 1 minute? Evidence check: Shiba Inu rises sharply in an hour while other tracked coins stay flat · 2026-10-23](<https://whycoinmoves.com/en/events/shiba-inu-move-1792719780>)
- [ADA: Why did ADA drop 1.60% in 5 minutes? Evidence check: Cardano falls in a market-wide move as most tracked coins decline · 2026-10-22](<https://whycoinmoves.com/en/events/cardano-move-1792687800>)
- [BTC: US spot Bitcoin ETFs take in about $1.07 billion over three sessions](<https://whycoinmoves.com/en/events/bitcoin-bitcoin-etfs-attract-1-08-7421d6e582dfce>)
- [Market watch](<https://whycoinmoves.com/en/topics/market>)

## Research for this archive

- [Monero XMR and Zcash ZEC: delistings, liquidity and USD vs USDT](<https://whycoinmoves.com/en/research/privacy-coin-delistings-and-quote-currency-isolation.md>)
- [Altcoin beta to Bitcoin: BTC, ETH, SOL and DOGE hourly returns](<https://whycoinmoves.com/en/research/hourly-returns-and-bitcoin-beta.md>)
- [Crypto liquidity and order book depth: a historical data audit](<https://whycoinmoves.com/en/research/order-book-data-quality.md>)
- [Perpetual funding rates and annualized yield: a 2025 comparison](<https://whycoinmoves.com/en/research/funding-rates-versus-investor-returns.md>)

[Methods and limitations](<https://whycoinmoves.com/en/methodology>)
Publisher count is not independent evidence count. Price changes cannot verify news or prove causation.