Key Points Zcash is among a handful of privacy coins that still survive. Monero is actually better than Zcash on protecting privacy. Other privacy coins lack one key feature that Zcash has. 10 stocks we like better than Zcash › There's often money to be made by betting on the winner of an emerging segment, and in crypto, that dynamic is no different. With that in mind, I predict that Zcash (CRYPTO: ZEC) will win the privacy coin segment during the next couple of years. So if you're thinking abou ...

Photo by BeInCrypto Privacy coins have emerged as one of the dominant narratives shaping cryptocurrency investment trends this year. The two leading altcoins in this sector by volume and market capitalization are Zcash (ZEC) and Monero (XMR). Investor attention has focused heavily on ZEC. Meanwhile, XMR continues to show strong and steady growth. XMR Outperforms ZEC in Many Aspects Despite Lacking the Spotlight In terms of daily spot trading volume in December, ZEC performed exceptionally well. Accord ...

Core Insights - Zcash (ZEC) has shown strong performance in the market, outperforming major cryptocurrencies like BTC and ETH during recent downturns, but its user base growth does not reflect this rally [1] Adoption Metrics - Zcash's privacy model complicates the evaluation of its adoption through standard blockchain metrics, as it supports both transparent and shielded transactions, with only the transparent side being directly observable [2] - A significant portion of Zcash's activity is now occurring within shielded pools, making it difficult to capture the full user base through transparent metrics, which mainly reflect exchange-related activity [2] Transaction Activity - The only notable increase in visible throughput was due to Zerdinals, which temporarily raised daily transactions above 70,000, but transparent senders remained in a narrow range of 8,000 to 14,000, indicating limited growth in new users [3] - After the Zerdinals event, transactions reverted to previous levels, suggesting that the spike was driven by a small group of repeat users rather than widespread adoption [4] Shielded Transactions - The shielded supply of Zcash has increased from approximately 1.2 million to over 4 million ZEC in recent years, with fully shielded transactions reaching record highs [4] - Trends such as Unified Addresses, auto-shielding, and Zashi's default-private user experience are contributing to increased flows into the shielded pool, indicating genuine private-side adoption despite minimal visibility in transparent metrics [5] Market Comparison - Monero (XMR) remains the leading pure-privacy asset, with all transactions being private and counted at the protocol level, maintaining a stable daily transaction range of 20,000 to 30,000 [6][7] - The stability in Monero's transaction counts suggests that Zcash's recent activity is not indicative of a broader sector-wide shift towards privacy coins, but rather a specific rotation within Zcash driven by its liquidity profile and improving user experience [7]

Core Insights - Firo (FIRO) has experienced a significant surge of over 300% in November, reaching a three-year high, with a market cap still below $100 million, leading to expectations of further growth [1][2] - The explosive growth of FIRO is accompanied by hidden risks related to on-chain data and market volatility [1] Group 1: Opportunities - Firo, launched in 2016 and previously known as Zcoin, has shown resilience across multiple market cycles, making it an attractive option for investors [2] - The implementation of Zero-Knowledge (ZK) proofs on the mainnet positions Firo as a leader in privacy-focused cryptocurrencies, providing enhanced privacy protection for users [3] - The recent rally of Zcash (ZEC) has positively impacted the privacy coin sector, with FIRO being compared to ZEC, suggesting potential for further acceleration and breaking out of its low-cap status [4] Group 2: Price Performance - FIRO has surpassed the $5 mark, achieving its highest price since August 2022, and has been trending as the 1 asset on CoinGecko for an entire week [5] Group 3: Upcoming Developments - A significant upcoming hard fork is scheduled for November 19, 2025, which will upgrade Firo to version 0.14.15.0, introducing the ability to transfer Spark names, enhancing the ecosystem [6] - The upgrade will transform Spark names from wallet identification tools into tradable assets, fostering an internal "domain economy" and increasing liquidity within the community [7]

Core Insights - The resurgence of the "privacy coin" narrative is driving Zcash's (ZEC) significant price increase, with a market cap rising from approximately $800 million in August to nearly $10 billion by early November 2025, outperforming competitors like Monero and meme coins like Shiba Inu [1][3][5] Market Performance - Zcash's price surged from low double digits to $550 in October 2025, with reports indicating a 255% increase in 30 days, and even higher estimates of a 360% climb, reaching around $622 by November 7 [2][5] - The coin's market cap skyrocketed, briefly placing it in the Top 20 rankings of cryptocurrencies [3][5] Catalysts for Growth - Three main catalysts for Zcash's surge include: 1. Renewed demand for privacy coins amid increasing concerns over digital surveillance [5] 2. The Zashi cross-chain upgrade, which locked 30% of ZEC's supply into shielded addresses, enhancing privacy [8][10] 3. A significant increase in Grayscale's Zcash Trust assets, which grew by 228% to $137 million [10] Technical Analysis - Zcash's daily chart indicates a parabolic uptrend, with the price breaking above multi-year resistance around $300 [11] - The Relative Strength Index (RSI) is at 84, indicating overbought conditions, while momentum indicators remain positive [11][12] - Analysts suggest that as long as ZEC stays above the trendline in the $450 to $500 range, bullish targets near $600 and beyond are plausible [12][18] Institutional Interest - Institutional interest is evident, with Grayscale's Zcash Trust seeing a dramatic increase in assets under management, indicating that accredited U.S. investors are seeking exposure to ZEC despite regulatory uncertainties [10] Future Predictions - Bullish predictions suggest Zcash could reach $750 to $1,000 by mid-2026 if demand for privacy tokens accelerates and institutional adoption increases [16][18] - A base case scenario anticipates consolidation between $400 and $550 as the market digests recent gains, while a bearish case warns of potential declines to $200 to $300 if technical support fails or regulatory actions intensify [19][21]

Core Insights - The article discusses the recent surge in value of privacy tokens in the cryptocurrency market, highlighting three specific coins for investors to monitor in November [1]. Group 1: Zcash (ZEC) - ZEC has seen a remarkable price increase of 246% in October, currently trading at $466, indicating strong investor confidence in privacy-focused cryptocurrencies [2]. - ZEC is approaching the psychological resistance level of $500, with indicators suggesting a potential continuation of its upward trend [3]. Group 2: GhostwareOS (GHOST) - GHOST has experienced a significant rise of nearly 227% since its launch this month, currently trading at $0.00008947, and has established support above $0.00007987 [4]. - The token has gained support from over 9,000 holders, with over 99% of its liquidity pool locked, suggesting strong fundamentals [5]. - Short-term targets for GHOST include breaking the resistance at $0.00011676 and aiming for $0.00015000, although potential corrections could occur if selling pressure increases [7]. Group 3: Dash (DASH) - DASH has surged by 228% in October, positioning it among the top-performing privacy tokens, reflecting strong investor confidence and market demand [8]. - Currently trading at $128, just below the $150 resistance, DASH shows signs of strong accumulation, with potential to reach $180 if buying pressure continues [9].

Core Insights - Privacy coins are experiencing renewed interest, with traders speculating on a potential "privacy coin supercycle" as several tokens see significant price rallies, including one that surged nearly 350% in 30 days [1] - The resurgence is attributed to increasing regulatory scrutiny on on-chain transparency, prompting traders to seek privacy-focused projects [1] Zcash (ZEC) - Zcash (ZEC) has seen a remarkable price increase of 350%, reaching a four-year high of over $297 before a profit-taking correction of about 18% [2][3] - Despite the recent pullback, ZEC shows potential for further gains, with a bullish divergence indicated by the price forming a higher low while the Relative Strength Index (RSI) made a lower low [3][4] - For ZEC to confirm renewed strength, it must reclaim $246 and close above $297, which could lead to targets of $312 and $342, with an extended target of $438 based on Fibonacci projections [5] - Maintaining a price above $186 is crucial for ZEC's bullish structure, while falling below this level may trigger more aggressive profit-taking [6] Dash (DASH) - Dash (DASH) has gained nearly 83% in the past 30 days, although it has experienced a 24.8% pullback recently due to profit-taking [7][8] - The recent correction in DASH's price may be part of a larger continuation pattern rather than indicating a full reversal [8]

Core Insights - Zcash (ZEC) has experienced a significant price increase, more than doubling in value over the past week, driven by rising demand for privacy coins during the "Uptober" rally [1][2] - The price surge has pushed ZEC to its highest level since April 2022, although it remains approximately 96% below its all-time high of $3,193 reached in 2016 [1] - The market capitalization of Zcash has risen to over $1.8 billion, reflecting increased interest in zk-SNARK technology, which underpins its privacy features [3][6] Price Performance - ZEC's price jumped from around $50 to over $130, peaking at $135.54 on October 3 [1] - In the last 24 hours, ZEC gained 21.5%, making it the best-performing digital asset among major tokens [1] - Over a seven-day period, ZEC's price has increased by 133.2%, leading the privacy coin sector [1] Trading Activity - Trading volume for ZEC surged by 1,150% to $292 million, indicating heightened market activity [2] - Shielded transactions, a key feature of Zcash, increased by 15.5% month-on-month, suggesting strong user demand [2] Technological Factors - The price movement is attributed to renewed interest in zk-SNARK technology, which allows for private transactions without revealing details [3] - Zcash offers both transparent and shielded transactions, appealing to users concerned about privacy amid increasing regulatory scrutiny [4] Market Sentiment - Prominent figures in the crypto space have highlighted Zcash's role as a protective asset against the transparency of Bitcoin [5] - Institutional interest has grown, with Grayscale opening its Zcash Trust for private placement, enhancing confidence among traditional investors [5][6] Development Initiatives - The Zcash Foundation has outlined an 18-month roadmap focusing on upgrades and audits to improve scalability, security, and interoperability [6] - These initiatives aim to enhance the overall functionality of Zcash, potentially increasing its throughput [6]