# Zcash Sprout Holders Have Two Weeks to Move Their ZEC

*Author: William M. Peaster*
*Published: Oct 21, 2026*
*Source: https://www.bankless.com/read/news/zcash-sprout-holders-have-two-weeks-to-move-their-zec*

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Zcash’s NU7 upgrade is lining up for mainnet block 3,543,405, expected around Nov. 5th, [per Zakura](https://x.com/ZakuraZcash/status/2112680556479856800), the new full node project led by Zcash cofounder Sean Bowe. Once NU7 activates, any ZEC left in the network’s original Sprout pool will be stuck. 

# **What’s the Scoop?**

- **Why Sprout goes dark:** [ZIP 2003](https://zips.z.cash/zip-2003) retires Zcash’s old “v4” transaction format, and Sprout, the shielded pool Zcash launched with in 2016, only works with v4 transactions. 

- **Frozen, not burned:** The coins won’t be destroyed, and a future fix isn’t ruled out. Still, the ZIP cautions that Sprout spending “may never be reenabled,” so holders shouldn’t count on a rescue. 

- **Node operators too:** NU7 skips Zcash’s usual ~3 month runway between new node software and activation, and [ZIP 259](https://zips.z.cash/zip-0259) warns that stragglers could keep running on the old, pre-NU7 chain. 

- **Also tracking:** Beyond the Sprout deadline, NU7 brings 25-second blocks and a fee-recycling Network Sustainability Mechanism, both of which we[ highlighted in September](https://www.bankless.com/read/news/zcash-sets-its-sights-on-next-major-network-upgrade).
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