After plunging to nearly $60,000 per coin this week, Bitcoin regained ground and briefly touched above $70,000 on Friday. By Saturday morning in New York, it was trading a little over $69,000, according to CoinGecko. But it’s looking bleak for major digital tokens dubbed hot trades just a month ago after the altcoin market bore the brunt of this week’s selloff. The biggest losers this week include privacy coin Monero, down nearly 31% over a seven-day period, and President Trump-backed World Liberty Fina ...

Core Insights - Dash (DASH) experienced a significant price increase of approximately 21% in a 24-hour period, reaching around $74.9, outperforming other privacy coins like Zcash and Monero [1] - The surge in Dash's price is attributed to leveraged trading positions and a rotation of traders into privacy assets amid a thin market [1] - Alchemy Pay's integration of Dash into its network allows users access to fiat on-ramps in 173 countries, enhancing Dash's market reach [2] Trading Activity - Dash's open interest is reported at nearly $155 million, with futures trading volume reaching about $3.58 billion in the last 24 hours [2] - The overall market cap of Dash remains under $1 billion, indicating potential for growth relative to its trading activity [3] Market Dynamics - Decentralized finance (DeFi) platforms are showing strong activity, with perpetuals volume at approximately $41.31 billion and DEX volumes around $13.45 billion in the same timeframe [3] - New crypto regulations in Dubai, effective January 12, may influence market dynamics and trading behavior [3] Price Momentum - Dash is exhibiting one of its strongest breakouts in years, with a clear upward trend and momentum above previous resistance levels [4] - The breakout has transformed the mid-$40 area from resistance to support, indicating strong buyer interest [5] - Current price action shows higher highs and higher lows, suggesting a shift from accumulation to expansion [5] Future Outlook - The recent price pullback appears calm and shallow, lacking the sharp rejection typically seen in failed breakouts [6] - If Dash maintains its position above the reclaimed support, it may open pathways to higher supply zones [7]

Core Insights - DASH experienced a significant price surge of 54% over 24 hours, reaching $85.96, with trading volume increasing to $1.29 billion across exchanges [1] - The token's daily trading volume rose by 72% compared to the previous session, and the seven-day volume increased by 525%, from approximately $39 million on January 10 to $1.29 billion on January 14 [1] - Despite the recent rally, DASH remains approximately 94% below its all-time high of $1,493.59 from December 2017 [1] Privacy Coin Market Dynamics - DASH is classified as a privacy coin, which obscures transaction details, distinguishing it from transparent blockchains like Bitcoin [2] - During the recent trading session, DASH led all major privacy coins, with Horizen gaining 23.1%, Decred adding 19.3%, Zcash rising 9.3%, and Monero increasing 8.6% [2] Recent Developments - Alchemy Pay announced support for DASH, allowing users to purchase the token with credit cards, Apple Pay, and bank transfers in 173 countries, although the impact of this partnership on the price increase remains unclear [3] - Analyst commentary highlighted improved trading access following the relisting of DASH on OKX, which restored market depth and participation [4] Market Sentiment and Trends - Traders noted a broader rotation into privacy-focused assets, with some characterizing the current environment as "privacy season" [5] - In the derivatives market, forced closures of short positions reached $770.22 million over 24 hours, with short positions making up 86.8% of that total [5] - The Fear & Greed Index indicated neutral sentiment at 48, recovering from a previous low of 26, while the broader market capitalization increased by 3.42% to $3.37 trillion [6] Privacy Coin Sector Performance - The privacy coins category overall gained 13.1%, with a combined market cap of $24 billion, and has added 24.6% over the past seven days [7] - While DASH led daily gains, Monero holds the largest market cap in the sector at $13.4 billion [7] - Zcash has faced challenges following governance disputes, which led to a price drop after the mass resignation of the ECC team on January 7 [7]

Core Insights - The Zcash Factor has emerged as a significant issue following the resignation of the Electric Coin Company's development team, leading to increased volatility in the privacy coin market [1] - Regulatory actions, particularly from Dubai, have explicitly banned privacy tokens, which may influence market dynamics and trader behavior [2] - The EU's DAC8 directive has reignited interest in privacy coins, with Monero reaching new all-time highs, indicating a shift in trader sentiment towards privacy-focused assets [3] Zcash Developments - The resignation of the Zcash development team has resulted in a bearish outlook for ZEC, which is down approximately 50% from its recent high [5] - Prediction market sentiment remains bullish for Zcash, with a 53% chance of reclaiming $550 before potentially dipping to $250 [7] - The price of ZEC has been influenced by the broader market dynamics, including Bitcoin's stability above $92,000 [8] Market Dynamics - The privacy coin sector has seen significant gains, with Monero up 54% in a week and Dash posting a 39% single-day gain, outperforming other crypto niches [4] - Capital rotation is occurring as traders move from ZEC to alternatives like Monero and Dash, which are perceived as more stable due to their decentralized structures [6] Dash Insights - Dash has experienced a significant price surge, with an intraday high of $69.92, driven by a short squeeze and increased trading volume [10] - The Relative Strength Index (RSI) for Dash indicates bullish momentum, but caution is advised as it approaches overbought territory [11] - Dash's recent partnership with Alchemy Pay and the upcoming Evolution platform rollout are expected to influence its market performance [16] Monero Analysis - Monero is currently in a price discovery mode, with a recent trading price of $667.78, reflecting a strong bullish trend [18] - The technical indicators for Monero are favorable, with a bullish configuration in the moving averages and a high ADX indicating a trending market [21] - However, the RSI for Monero is at 85.4, suggesting it is in overbought territory, which may lead to a short-term pullback [22] Key Resistance and Support Levels - For Dash, immediate resistance is at $60, with support levels at $40 and $37 [19] - Monero's key levels include $700 as psychological resistance and $600 as support, which has flipped from resistance [27]

Cryptocurrency Market Overview - The cryptocurrency market in 2025 experienced unusual trends, with major cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin and Ethereum declining, while lesser-known cryptocurrencies saw significant gains [1] - The five biggest winners of 2025 included Bitcoin Cash, Zcash, Monero, Pax Gold, and MYX Finance [1] Bitcoin Cash - Bitcoin Cash, a spinoff of Bitcoin, increased in value by over 30% in 2025, contrasting with Bitcoin's 5% decline [1][2] Privacy Coins - Privacy coins gained significant attention in 2025, with Zcash surging by 782% and Monero by 122% [3] - Despite their impressive returns, privacy coins may lose appeal for average investors, with Zcash already down 17% in the current year [4][6] Gold Stablecoins - Gold stablecoins, particularly Pax Gold, rose nearly 70% in 2025, reflecting the nearly 70% increase in gold prices [5][6] - Pax Gold is expected to maintain its upward momentum as a safe-haven asset amid macroeconomic and geopolitical uncertainties [7] MYX Finance - MYX Finance, a decentralized perpetual futures exchange, initially traded flat before experiencing a significant rise to $19 in September and October 2025, but has since fallen to $5 [6][8]

Core Insights - In early 2026, over 200,000 Zcash (ZEC) were unshielded, representing approximately 1.2% of ZEC's circulating supply, as privacy coins continued to underperform the broader market [2][6] - The unshielding event has raised concerns about potential sell-offs, particularly as a whale transferred 74,002 ZEC, valued at about $35.75 million, to Binance shortly after the unshielding [5][6] - Despite a general recovery in the altcoin market, ZEC's price declined from $530 to $490, a drop of around 7%, indicating a divergence from the overall market trend [6][7] Group 1: Unshielding Activity - The unshielding process involves converting funds from shielded pools to transparent pools, often for trading purposes [2] - The total amount of ZEC in shielded pools decreased to approximately 4.86 million ZEC after previously peaking above 5 million [3] - Deposits into shielded pools have stagnated, suggesting a lack of bullish sentiment compared to previous growth [4] Group 2: Market Performance - ZEC has experienced significant derivative capital outflows, with increasing short positions noted [6] - The overall altcoin market capitalization (TOTAL3) increased by 7%, rising from $825 billion to $885 billion, while ZEC's price fell [6] - Other privacy coins, including Monero (XMR) and Dash (DASH), have also underperformed, indicating a trend of weakness in the privacy sector [7] Group 3: Institutional Interest - Grayscale has identified Zcash (ZEC) as a promising altcoin, anticipating continued growth in the privacy sector driven by rising institutional interest [8]

Core Viewpoint - Cypherpunk Technologies has significantly increased its investment in privacy coin zcash, reflecting a strategic focus on accumulating a substantial share of the network amid a positive market sentiment for privacy-focused digital assets [1][2][3] Company Summary - Cypherpunk Technologies purchased $28 million worth of zcash (ZEC), raising its total holdings to 290,062 ZEC, valued at approximately $152 million [1] - The firm now holds about 1.76% of zcash's circulating supply after acquiring 56,418 tokens at an average price of $514.02 each [1] - The company's average cost per ZEC is $334.41, positioning it as one of the few digital asset treasury firms that remain profitable following a broader market correction [2] Industry Summary - Zcash has experienced a remarkable price increase of over 1,200% since September, driven by a shift in investor sentiment towards privacy coins [2] - Cypherpunk aims to accumulate 5% of the Zcash network, indicating a long-term commitment to the asset and its perceived societal importance [3] - Following the latest purchase, Cypherpunk's shares rose by 11% to $1.31, although they were down approximately 1.5% in pre-market trading [3]

Market Overview - Crypto markets are stable with Bitcoin trading above $89,000, indicating traders are considering year-end positioning [1] - Bitcoin is priced at approximately $89,441, showing a gain of over 1% for the day, while Ethereum is around $3,032 with modest gains [2] - Major altcoins like BNB, XRP, and Solana are experiencing low-volatility movements, with BNB near $864 and XRP at $1.92 [2] Privacy Coins and Altcoins - Privacy-focused tokens are gaining traction, with Monero trading around $471 after a 2% increase, and Zcash nearing $443, reflecting strong weekly momentum [3] - Niche projects are also attracting speculative inflows, with gaming token BEAT seeing a significant rise in trading volume and market cap, while Hyperliquid's HYPE token is gaining attention due to whale purchases [4] Gold Market Influence - Gold prices have surpassed $4,400 per ounce, setting new records and drawing defensive capital away from risk assets, yet Bitcoin's stability contrasts with previous cycles where gold rallies led to crypto pullbacks [5] Whale Activity and Institutional Positioning - Whale behavior shows mixed sentiment, with one large holder exiting a significant AAVE position at a loss, while others are accumulating sETH and increasing exposure to HYPE, which is trading near $25.48 after a nearly 5% daily gain [6] - Institutional positioning remains stable, with Bitcoin ETFs, particularly BlackRock's IBIT, attracting around $25 billion in inflows in 2025, indicating sustained demand for regulated Bitcoin exposure [7] Market Sentiment - As Christmas approaches, market sentiment is cautious with elevated fear indicators and thinning liquidity, although historical trends suggest potential late-December rebounds [7]

Very bullish on privacy coins over the coming months. ...

Core Insights - Privacy coins Canton and Midnight have outperformed the market, with Zcash and Monero also showing gains following the announcement by the Depository Trust & Clearing Corporation (DTCC) to issue tokenized securities on the Canton Network [1][2] - The overall cryptocurrency market experienced a slight dip due to negative U.S. employment data, but the news from DTCC acted as a catalyst for the rally in privacy coins [2] - DTCC, which handles $3.7 quadrillion in transactions annually, will begin minting U.S. Treasuries on Canton's blockchain in the first half of 2026, with plans to expand the project in subsequent years [3][4] Market Performance - Canton has gained 7% to $0.07615, while Midnight is up 2.5% to $0.06397 in the past 24 hours [1] - Zcash and Monero have increased by 2.9% and 1.5% respectively, with Zcash being integrated as the default privacy rail by DEX aggregator ShapeShift [1][4] - Zcash has risen over 650% since mid-September, while Monero is up 100% in the past year, contrasting with Bitcoin's 16% decline [5] Strategic Developments - DTCC will take a leadership role in Canton's decentralized governance and co-chair the Canton Foundation alongside Euroclear [4] - The launch of Canton and Midnight has positively impacted the privacy coin market, with Midnight up 170% since its launch on December 9 [6] - Digital Asset, the parent company of Canton, has secured strategic investments from major firms like BNY, Nasdaq, and S&P Global, and reported $135 million in total funding [6]