Zcash Upgrade Could Lock $16 Million in Crypto Forever
Summary
Zcash’s NU7 upgrade will invalidate v4 transactions, the only way to withdraw funds from its legacy Sprout privacy pool. About 12,224 ZEC, worth an estimated $15 million to $16 million, could become inaccessible once the network reaches block 3,543,405. The coins will not be destroyed, and a future upgrade could theoretically restore access, but developers have warned that spending may never be re-enabled. Sprout has been closed to deposits for years; holders must withdraw remaining funds before activation. NU7 also reduces Zcash’s target block interval from 75 to 25 seconds, enabling faster confirmations.
