CoinDesk
About 12,226 ZEC remained in Zcash’s Sprout privacy pool Thursday morning, with holders facing an upgrade expected Thursday evening before those coins become unspendable under the new network rules. The balance was about 22,263 ZEC a week earlier, and at $1,300 per ZEC the remaining funds were worth roughly $16 million. Only about 40 ZEC left Wednesday.
Why it matters
NU7, scheduled for block 3,543,405, will reject version-4 transactions, the only format capable of spending Sprout coins. Funds left behind will remain part of Zcash’s issued supply, but their owners may lose access even if they still have valid private keys. ZIP 2003 leaves open the possibility of restoring access in a future upgrade while warning that spending may never be re-enabled.
Sprout launched in 2016 and has since been superseded by newer shielded pools. Retiring its older transaction format is intended to reduce software complexity and security risks. The public pool balance does not identify the owners or show how much belongs to wallets with lost keys. Sprout addresses begin with “zc,” which can help holders identify relevant old wallet records.
Market impact
The amount ultimately stranded depends on withdrawals before NU7 activates. Roughly 10,000 ZEC left Sprout over the preceding week, but Wednesday’s 40 ZEC suggests withdrawals had slowed sharply. The precise activation time depends on block production: the chain was at block 3,542,391 at 05:24 UTC Thursday, with a target interval of 75 seconds.
NU7 also cuts the target time between blocks from 75 seconds to 25, shortening expected transaction confirmation waits. For ZEC holders, the immediate issue is whether any Sprout balance remains when the upgrade takes effect; for the network, the change removes a little-used legacy format while accepting the risk that some funds may become permanently inaccessible.
Frequently asked questions
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Why could ZEC in Sprout become unspendable after NU7?
NU7 will reject version-4 transactions, the only transaction format capable of spending coins in Sprout. Any balance left behind may become inaccessible.
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How much ZEC remained in Sprout before the upgrade?
About 12,226 ZEC remained Thursday morning, worth roughly $16 million at $1,300 per ZEC.
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Can holders recover Sprout coins with valid private keys?
Valid private keys may not be enough after NU7 rejects the required transaction format. A future upgrade could restore access, but spending may never be re-enabled.
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Why is Zcash retiring the Sprout transaction format?
Sprout uses an older transaction format that adds software complexity and security risks. NU7 retires it as the pool has been superseded by newer shielded pools.
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What other change does NU7 make to Zcash block timing?
NU7 cuts the target interval between blocks from 75 seconds to 25 seconds, shortening the expected wait for transaction confirmations.
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