Zcash (ZEC) entered October after a strong September rally and steep pullback, as the Zcash Foundation released Zebra 7.0.0-rc.0, the first release candidate for the NU7 network upgrade. Public testnet activation is scheduled for block 4,465,026, expected around October 6, 2026, while a development timeline calls for a mainnet decision on October 20 and targets November 5 for activation. NU7 is not yet live on the production chain. At an October 4 snapshot, ZEC was near $1,336, with a market capitalization of about $22.7 billion and daily trading volume of roughly $540 million. The upgrade would reduce target block spacing from 75 seconds to 25 seconds without changing daily issuance, add shielded-transaction limits and introduce fee recycling. Under ZIP 235, 60% of transaction fees would enter a reserve and miners would retain 40%; ZIP 237 would periodically reissue a predictable portion of the reserve alongside block rewards. The four-year halving schedule and 21 million ZEC supply cap would remain unchanged. A recovery depends on demand ahead of activation, while a failed test or renewed selling could deepen the pullback.