USDZcash Surges Past $10 Billion Coin Market Cap as Privacy-Coin Rally Redefines Crypto Momentum
Privacy tokens like ZEC extend their record-breaking run as institutional interest and on-chain demand lift crypto price index sentiment.
TL;DR:
- Zcash (ZEC) hit a $10.9 billion coin market cap after rising over 25% in 24 hours and 750% since early October.
- Privacy-token sector expanded to $29.9 billion, outpacing the broader crypto price index by more than 15×.
- Analysts cite tightened KYC rules and renewed institutional attention as drivers of ZEC’s 700% rebound above $700.
Zcash’s stunning rally has catapulted the long-standing privacy coin back into the top-tier of digital assets, reaching a $10.9 billion coin market cap and reclaiming its position among the twenty largest cryptocurrencies. The token, which surged more than 25% in the past 24 hours and around 750% since early October, has outpaced every major benchmark in the crypto price index. ZEC’s market cap now edges past Hyperliquid’s $10.8 billion valuation, marking its most significant ranking since its 2018 bull cycle peak. Once trading above $718, ZEC gained 35% in a single session and an extraordinary 1,700% over three months.
Privacy-token assets as a whole are undergoing a rare sectoral rotation. The combined valuation of privacy coins has swelled to $29.9 billion—up 16.6% on the day and more than 38% for the week—while the broader crypto price index moved just 1% higher in the same period. Analysts describe ZEC’s upswing as a mix of narrative revival and structural change within the industry. Maja Vujinovic, CEO of FG Nexus, remarked that “regulators have tightened KYC everywhere, so people who want privacy are drifting back on-chain, and traders are piling into anything with big upside because liquidity in the big coins is thin.” Jake Kennis of Nansen added that renewed attention from prominent figures such as Arthur Hayes and Barry Silbert has magnified sentiment across the privacy segment.
Momentum behind Zcash also draws from its technical and tokenomic architecture. The project’s shielded pool holds around 4.9 million ZEC—nearly 30% of its total supply—reflecting a growing shift toward private transactions. The network retains its proof-of-work mechanism and a fixed cap of 21 million coins, with a scheduled halving that continues to frame it as “encrypted Bitcoin.” The Grayscale Zcash Trust now manages roughly $151 million in assets, a signal of mounting institutional exposure to the privacy-asset theme. While Bitcoin has fallen 18% and Ethereum 26% since mid-October, ZEC’s counter-trend trajectory has reshaped its correlation to the rest of the market.
Zcash’s performance has lifted related privacy assets as well. Railgun (RAIL) climbed 50% in 24 hours, Litecoin rose 20%, and Monero (XMR) advanced 8% on the day. Market data shows that ZEC jumped 159% in a week and DASH gained 78% over the same period, showcasing sector-wide risk-on appetite despite a tepid macro outlook.
Commentators argue this is no mere throwback to 2017’s hype cycle but a potential shift in crypto culture toward digital privacy as a core value. Still, experts warn that thin liquidity and heightened volatility could trigger sharp reversals if major assets swing again. Vujinovic cautioned that “if BTC or ETH volatility spikes, these moves can reverse fast.”
The Zcash development roadmap for Q4 2025 outlines an expanded use of Sapling addresses for shielded transactions, Pay-to-Script-Hash multi-signature support, and enhancements to the Zashi wallet for greater ease and privacy. The project continues to position itself as a form of encrypted electronic cash where privacy is fundamental rather than optional. Founded in 2016 by the Electric Coin Company as a Bitcoin fork using zero-knowledge proofs, Zcash maintains a circulating supply of around 16.3 million ZEC of its 21 million maximum.
This article has been refined and enhanced by ChatGPT.
