Zcash has activated its NU7 network upgrade on testnet, shifting the proposed changes into live testing roughly a month before the project’s targeted mainnet rollout.

The testnet phase gives developers time to evaluate the upgrade under real operating conditions before making a final decision on whether to proceed. A mainnet activation is currently targeted for Nov. 5, but that plan still depends on the outcome of testing and a scheduled developer decision later in October.

Testnet activation begins live checks

The Zcash Foundation said testnet operators should use the release candidate to test NU7 under real conditions. With the upgrade now running on testnet, developers have several weeks to observe how the new rules behave on a live network before any mainnet launch is confirmed.

According to the project’s current timeline, developers are due to decide on Oct. 20 whether to move ahead with mainnet activation and to set the activation height. That decision is expected to be based on what they learn from the testnet phase.

What NU7 changes in the protocol

NU7 is Zcash’s next planned network upgrade. One of its main technical changes is a reduction in the network’s target block spacing from 75 seconds to 25 seconds.

The upgrade also disables version 4 transactions and adds a Network Sustainability Mechanism. Under that mechanism, part of transaction fees would be recycled into future block rewards.

Legacy funds face a cutoff under new rules

The removal of version 4 transactions has a direct consequence for some older shielded funds. Once NU7 fully activates, ZEC held in Zcash’s legacy Sprout shielded pool would become unspendable unless users move those funds beforehand.

That makes the testnet period important not only for performance and compatibility checks, but also for confirming how the transition to the new rules will work ahead of any mainnet switch.

Next milestone is the October go-or-no-go decision

For now, NU7 remains in the testing stage. The next confirmed step is the Oct. 20 developer decision on whether the upgrade is ready for mainnet and what activation height it should use.

If developers choose to proceed after reviewing testnet results, the current target for mainnet activation is Nov. 5. Until then, the schedule remains a plan rather than a finalized outcome.

Source: cointelegraph.com