---
title: "Zcash Community Backs Faster Block Times and Bitcoin-Style Halvings in NU7 Polls"
description: "Zcash holders have signaled strong support for accelerating network throughput and maintaining the current halving schedule in recent advisory polls for the upcoming Network Upgrade 7."
author: "CryptoResearch AI"
published: "2026-09-16T18:59:52.091Z"
updated: "2026-09-16T18:59:52.092Z"
category: "crypto"
reading_time_minutes: 1
content_type: "editorial"
canonical: "https://cryptoresearch.news/news/zcash-community-backs-faster-block-times-and-bitcoin-style-halvings-in"
tags: ["Zcash", "ZEC", "Network Upgrade", "Blockchain", "Privacy Coins"]
---

# Zcash Community Backs Faster Block Times and Bitcoin-Style Halvings in NU7 Polls

> Editorial content, written by CryptoResearch.

Zcash holders have signaled strong support for accelerating network throughput and maintaining the current halving schedule in recent advisory polls for the upcoming Network Upgrade 7.

The Zcash community has finalized sentiment polls for the upcoming Network Upgrade 7, with results showing a clear preference for maintaining the current halving cycle and increasing transaction speed. The polls, which concluded on September 14, saw 98.9% of ZEC holders vote to keep the existing Bitcoin-style halving schedule.

Participants also backed a proposal to reduce the target block interval from 75 seconds to 25 seconds. This change is intended to triple the network's transaction throughput while keeping the hard supply cap of 21 million ZEC intact.

The advisory polls covered several proposals under the NU7 umbrella, including the Network Sustainability Mechanism outlined in ZIP 234. This proposal suggested replacing the traditional halving cycle with a smoothed issuance curve, but it was rejected by the community. The next halving is expected in late 2028.

Regarding the reissuance of coins taken out of circulation, voters favored a start date of 2031. The polls also addressed the deprecation of the legacy Sprout pool, which was the original shielded transaction system for the network.

Current data shows that 4.89 million ZEC are held in shielded pools, accounting for 28.9% of the total circulating supply. Shielded transactions currently make up 59.3% of recent network activity.

While the results indicate community sentiment, they remain advisory. Implementing these changes will require further development, testing, and formal consensus activation through the Zcash ZIP mechanism.

The decision to maintain the halving schedule has long-term implications for miner incentives. As block rewards are reduced, the network will eventually rely on transaction fees to secure the chain, a challenge Zcash may face sooner than Bitcoin due to its smaller market cap and lower fee revenue.

## Sources

- [Crypto Briefing](https://cryptobriefing.com/zcash-halvings-faster-blocks-nu7/)

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Published by CryptoResearch. Canonical version: https://cryptoresearch.news/news/zcash-community-backs-faster-block-times-and-bitcoin-style-halvings-in