Zcash’s proposed NU7 upgrade could leave ZEC in the legacy Sprout shielded pool unspendable by disabling version 4 transactions required to spend those funds. The proposal would not erase the coins and could allow recovery through a future upgrade, but warns holders may never regain access. NU7 is scheduled for testnet activation on Oct. 6, with a decision due Oct. 20 on a targeted Nov. 5 mainnet launch. The upgrade would reduce block spacing from 75 seconds to 25 seconds, preserve halvings following poll results and include ZIP-218, ZIP-234 (alt) and ZIP-235. Zcash cofounder Eli Ben-Sasson separately said privacy and post-quantum security could become baseline crypto requirements if they are affordable and easy to use. Shielded Zcash activity reached 62,379 transactions in a week, its highest level since 2022. Reported ZEC prices differ by measurement time: the older report cited $1,627.82, while the newer report cited $15.96.