Zcash holders have strongly supported reducing the network’s target block time to 25 seconds while keeping the existing ZEC issuance and halving schedule unchanged.
The proposals were part of a community vote covering potential changes for Zcash’s next major network upgrade, known as NU7.
Zcash Holders Strongly Support 25-Second Blocks
The proposal to reduce Zcash block times from 75 seconds to 25 seconds received 99.9% of the ZEC-weighted vote.
At the same time, 98.9% of participating voting power supported preserving the current ZEC halving schedule. Both figures include abstentions.
Voting power was based on eligible ZEC holdings rather than the number of individual participants.
The shorter block interval could significantly reduce the expected waiting time for a transaction’s first confirmation.
However, faster blocks would not increase the overall rate of ZEC creation. Instead, the amount of newly issued ZEC per block would be reduced so that daily token issuance remains unchanged.
Changes Could Arrive With Zcash NU7 Upgrade
The proposals are being considered for NU7, the next major Zcash network upgrade.
An official activation date for NU7 has not yet been determined.
Zcash holders also supported excluding upgrade features that are not fully implemented by Sept. 30. Developers are aiming to finalize the remaining components before that deadline.
Testnet and mainnet activation dates will be decided later.
The coinholder vote was conducted separately from polls involving ZecHub, the Zcash Community Advisory Panel and other community groups.
Voting eligibility was limited to spendable ZEC held in the Ironwood shielded pool at the time of the voting snapshot.
ZEC Halving Schedule Expected to Remain
Zcash halvings periodically reduce the amount of newly issued ZEC by 50%.
The preferred option among coinholders would preserve the existing halving schedule rather than replace it with an alternative issuance model.
Under the proposal, ZEC removed from circulation through a separate mechanism could also be returned gradually through future block rewards.
However, support for retaining halvings was much closer among members of the Zcash Community Advisory Panel.
In that poll, 57 members supported replacing halvings with a more gradual issuance curve, while 54 members favored keeping the existing halving system.
Zcash Holders Favor Delaying NSM Reissuance
Another major proposal considered for the NU7 upgrade is the Network Sustainability Mechanism, or NSM.
The NSM is designed to modify Zcash’s long-term economic model by recycling part of the network’s transaction fees into future rewards instead of relying entirely on new block issuance.
Around 97% of participating ZEC holders supported delaying NSM reissuance until February 2031.
Approximately 2.3 million ZEC supported delaying the mechanism, while about 70,239 ZEC backed introducing reissuance as soon as possible.
What Is the Zcash Network Sustainability Mechanism?
The NSM was proposed in January as a potential solution to Zcash’s long-term network security funding challenge.
As block rewards decline over time, there are concerns that mining incentives could eventually become too small to adequately reward miners for securing and validating the network.
The proposed mechanism would address this by burning and later recycling a portion of ZEC transaction fees into future block rewards.
Under the current proposal, 60% of transaction fees could be recycled while ensuring that Zcash does not exceed its maximum supply of 21 million ZEC.
ZEC Price Extends Recent Rally
ZEC also continued its recent upward momentum following the governance developments.
The cryptocurrency gained 3.8% over the previous 24 hours and extended its monthly rally to approximately 132%.
The strong community support for faster blocks, combined with plans to preserve ZEC’s halving structure, highlights the network’s focus on improving transaction speed without changing its long-term issuance schedule.
