Zcash NU7 Upgrade Could Leave Sprout Funds Unspendable Around Nov. 5

Zcash (ZEC) holders with balances in the Sprout privacy pool have about two weeks to move them before NU7 is expected to disable the transaction type those funds require.

NU7 would stop supporting version 4 transactions, the only format Sprout supports. Balances remaining in the pool after activation would stay on the network but could no longer be spent under the new rules. A later restoration of Sprout spending is not guaranteed.

Sprout launched with Zcash in 2016. Holders can transfer balances to Sapling, another shielded pool, through a migration procedure.

NU7 also gives node operators less preparation time than the roughly three months typical of Zcash upgrade rollouts. Operators still using older software could continue on the pre-NU7 chain.

The NU7 block target is 3,543,405, which the network is expected to reach around Nov. 5. Activation depends on the chain reaching that height.