Crypto News Today: Zcash Block Times, Binance France and US Sanctions

Zcash developers ValarDragon and Evan Forbes have proposed reducing the network’s target block interval from 25 seconds to 20 seconds. Submitted as a draft Zcash Improvement Proposal on GitHub, the change could be included in the next community poll and considered for the NU7.1 network upgrade, potentially making initial transaction confirmations faster.

The proposal comes days after Zcash activated its NU7 mainnet upgrade, which cut the target block interval from 75 seconds to 25 seconds. NU7 also introduced a Network Sustainability Mechanism that recycles part of transaction fees into future mining rewards while preserving Zcash’s 21 million ZEC supply cap. Developers said the proposed 20-second interval would not increase the network’s overall daily capacity for private transactions or alter its issuance schedule.

Binance France is reportedly winding down operations in the country. Customers received emails in early November informing them that all accounts will be closed on Dec. 31. Starting Nov. 29, balances remaining in accounts will incur a monthly maintenance fee of 0.025%, with a minimum charge of 10 USDC. Users must withdraw their funds by Nov. 29 to avoid those fees.

The US Treasury also imposed financial sanctions on eight Canadian money-service businesses accused of conducting transactions with sanctioned Iranian entities. The enforcement action adds to regulatory scrutiny surrounding cryptocurrency and cross-border financial services as authorities target organizations allegedly helping sanctioned entities access financial networks.