A Zcash core developer, ValarDragon, proposed implementing the NU8 network upgrade in late January 2027, according to a PANews report published on November 10, 2026, at 11:51 a.m. (UTC+8). This was a proposal, not a completed upgrade.
The proposed changes include a Tachyon shielded pool; an increase in the maximum block size from 2 MB to 8 MB; SPHINCs-based post-quantum transparent opcodes; moving the in-protocol NSM reallocation date to around Zcash’s seventh halving; setting a final date for Sapling deposits to stop; and removing “consensus branch ID” updates that the report says frequently damage wallets.
ValarDragon said Tachyon combined with larger blocks could support 200 shielded transactions per second. The developer also described Tachyon as providing unconditional post-quantum privacy and the transparent opcodes as a real-time solution for related recovery. These are claims about a proposed design, not measured network performance. The report provides no fee, revenue or token-holder value-accrual figures from which to assess a valuation effect.