Running a Zebra node: check the support cutoff height before the NU7 date
Readers who run their own Zcash nodes or provide lookup services for wallets or other applications should also check when their current version will refuse to keep running when planning an upgrade. Focusing only on the expected NU7 date could mean missing the cutoff condition for the older version itself.
On October 22, Beijing time, I read-only checked the source code for the Foundation’s official Zebra 6.4.2 tag. The Mainnet support cutoff is height 3,540,768: the source arrives at this figure by adding 96,768 blocks—84 days at a target interval of 75 seconds—to the estimated release height of 3,444,000. The cutoff is triggered only when the Mainnet tip exceeds that height; the node does not automatically stop when the computer’s clock reaches “midnight on November 2.” Startup and periodic checks have their own timing, so an interruption at any particular second cannot be promised either. This is a summary of the source code, not a finding from running a node firsthand.
Operators can keep track of three checks:
① Check the actual version. Match the running version to the official tag; the version verified here is 6.4.2, and this finding cannot be directly extended to other versions or modified builds. The official project also warns against running 6.4.0 or 6.4.1; upgrade wording in older notices should be read alongside later security revisions.
② Check the network and height. This support cutoff check applies to Mainnet. Comparing the current Mainnet height with the threshold is more accurate than treating the expected date as a fixed alarm. Testnet does not stop under this same rule, but that does not mean it has completed validation for Mainnet.
③ Check the scope of the next release. The official listing says 7.0.0-rc.0 is for NU7 Testnet; the “Latest” label alone does not prove it is a Mainnet production migration option. Database users and wallet backends must also check compatibility notes; replacing only the node does not guarantee that every service will work properly.
Relevant market context: Binance ZEC/USDT rose about 1.20% during the complete hour from 03:00 to 04:00, with trading volume of about 15.07 million USDT, or 0.91 times the average of the previous five complete hours. Price and volume cannot verify that a node upgrade is complete, much less imply that all services are ready.
My limited assessment is that version support cutoffs and network upgrades are two separate operational conditions; services that have already upgraded or use another implementation may be in a different situation. Next, check the official Mainnet release and accompanying software notes, and recalculate if the official project revises the threshold. I did not install software, connect a wallet, or test a migration in this review, so this checklist should not be treated as a complete operating guide. $ZEC
Readers who run their own Zcash nodes or provide lookup services for wallets or other applications should also check when their current version will refuse to keep running when planning an upgrade. Focusing only on the expected NU7 date could mean missing the cutoff condition for the older version itself.
On October 22, Beijing time, I read-only checked the source code for the Foundation’s official Zebra 6.4.2 tag. The Mainnet support cutoff is height 3,540,768: the source arrives at this figure by adding 96,768 blocks—84 days at a target interval of 75 seconds—to the estimated release height of 3,444,000. The cutoff is triggered only when the Mainnet tip exceeds that height; the node does not automatically stop when the computer’s clock reaches “midnight on November 2.” Startup and periodic checks have their own timing, so an interruption at any particular second cannot be promised either. This is a summary of the source code, not a finding from running a node firsthand.
Operators can keep track of three checks:
① Check the actual version. Match the running version to the official tag; the version verified here is 6.4.2, and this finding cannot be directly extended to other versions or modified builds. The official project also warns against running 6.4.0 or 6.4.1; upgrade wording in older notices should be read alongside later security revisions.
② Check the network and height. This support cutoff check applies to Mainnet. Comparing the current Mainnet height with the threshold is more accurate than treating the expected date as a fixed alarm. Testnet does not stop under this same rule, but that does not mean it has completed validation for Mainnet.
③ Check the scope of the next release. The official listing says 7.0.0-rc.0 is for NU7 Testnet; the “Latest” label alone does not prove it is a Mainnet production migration option. Database users and wallet backends must also check compatibility notes; replacing only the node does not guarantee that every service will work properly.
Relevant market context: Binance ZEC/USDT rose about 1.20% during the complete hour from 03:00 to 04:00, with trading volume of about 15.07 million USDT, or 0.91 times the average of the previous five complete hours. Price and volume cannot verify that a node upgrade is complete, much less imply that all services are ready.
My limited assessment is that version support cutoffs and network upgrades are two separate operational conditions; services that have already upgraded or use another implementation may be in a different situation. Next, check the official Mainnet release and accompanying software notes, and recalculate if the official project revises the threshold. I did not install software, connect a wallet, or test a migration in this review, so this checklist should not be treated as a complete operating guide. $ZEC