Zcash NU7 Upgrade Will Freeze Legacy Sprout Pool Funds

Zcash’s November upgrade will freeze all funds currently held in the legacy Sprout shielded pool. The network’s NU7 proposal disables version 4 transactions, making these specific assets permanently unspendable.

Users must move their ZEC out of this old pool before the activation date to avoid loss. Cointelegraph reports that the change does not burn the coins but leaves them inaccessible without a future protocol fix.

NU7 proposal removes version 4 transaction support

Zcash Improvement Proposal-2003 defines the technical scope of this specific network change. The update stops the chain from accepting the older transaction format required to spend Sprout funds.

This restriction creates a hard deadline for holders of those legacy wallets. Community members on the Zcash forum have urged users to check old devices for any remaining balances.

Timeline sets testnet activation for early October

The network will test these changes on its testnet environment on October 6. Developers will review the results before deciding whether to proceed with the mainnet launch.

The final mainnet activation is targeted for November 5 if the testnet phase completes successfully. This schedule gives developers time to address any stability issues identified during the trial period.

Block time cuts and issuance rules remain intact

The upgrade also reduces the target block time from 75 seconds to 25 seconds. This change increases the network’s transaction throughput without altering the core monetary policy.

Planned changes to issuance preserve the existing halving schedule for the token. ZEC traded at $1,627.82 recently, reflecting an 8% gain over the past 24 hours.