What is NU6?
NU6 is the seventh major network upgrade for Zcash, endorsed by both Electric Coin Co. and the Zcash Foundation. It extends the “dev fund” allocated from the Zcash block subsidy for an additional year after the November 2024 halving. The dev fund is split between Zcash Community Grants (ZCG) (8% of the block subsidy) and an in-protocol “lockbox” (12% of the block subsidy).
NU6 also makes a consensus change to require the full amount of miner subsidy and fees to be collected in coinbase transactions.
New ZIPs
- ZIP 236: Blocks should balance exactly
- ZIP 253: Deployment of the NU6 Network Upgrade
- ZIP 1015: Block Subsidy Allocation for Non-Direct Development Funding
- ZIP 2001: Lockbox Funding Streams
Updated ZIPs
The following ZIPs have been updated:
- ZIP 207: Funding Streams
- ZIP 214: Consensus rules for a Zcash Development Fund
How do I upgrade?
If you are unsure about how to upgrade your Zebra or zcashd node, don’t worry! The
Zebra Book and the
Zcash Full Node and CLI user guide should answer most upgrade-related questions.
Note for ASIC Miners
ASIC miners do not verify consensus rules, and NU6 does not alter the block header, so there’s no specific upgrade action needed on their part. They rely on the mining pool they’re connecting to, which is responsible for upgrading its nodes.
