Zcash Market Cap Hits $10.6B as Privacy Coins Surge Amid Investor Demand

• ZEC surges to $655, achieving a $10.6 billion market cap and positioning as 12th-largest crypto.
• Privacy tokens like Dash, Decred, and ZKsync also post major weekly gains.
• Grassroots advocacy and high-profile endorsements drive renewed interest in Zcash.

While the broader crypto market continues to experience a slowdown, privacy-focused assets are seeing renewed interest, and Zcash is leading the charge. According to CoinMarketCap, ZEC hit a high of $655 earlier Friday, boosting its market capitalization to approximately $10.6 billion. At the time of writing, the rally had cooled slightly to $632, bringing its market cap to $10.3 billion and placing it as the 12th-largest cryptocurrency. Over the last 24 hours, ZEC gained nearly 23%, and its value has jumped over 63% in the past week, extending a breakout run that has turned it into a key player in 2025’s “privacy revival.”

Bitcoin and Ether continue to consolidate, but attention is shifting toward privacy-focused tokens. ZEC has outperformed its rivals, including Monero, while other privacy assets such as Dash, Decred, and ZKsync posted gains of 141%, 96%, and 122%, respectively. Monero, once the benchmark for privacy coins, recorded only a modest 12% increase, constrained by liquidity issues and regulatory-driven exchange delistings.

Zcash benefits from a dual-mode architecture, offering both transparent and shielded addresses. This hybrid design allows ZEC to coexist with regulated exchanges and institutional custody providers, making it an appealing choice for investors seeking privacy without compromising compliance. The model positions Zcash as a top contender for those prioritizing anonymity while remaining within regulatory boundaries.

The surge in ZEC is also powered by grassroots advocacy and endorsements from industry figures like Arthur Hayes, Naval Ravikant, Mert Mumtaz, and Threadguy. Their commentary and content have highlighted Zcash’s zero-knowledge proof technology, emphasizing its potential as a secure and decentralized method of transferring value that remains viable in a tighter regulatory environment.

Alex Bornstein, executive director of the Zcash Foundation, told Cointelegraph’s Chain Reaction show that neither the foundation nor the Electric Coin Company paid influencers to promote ZEC. He stressed that the recent advocacy is a cultural shift within the crypto community rather than a coordinated marketing effort.

However, caution remains among some industry voices. Samson Mow, CEO of Jan3 and a Bitcoin advocate, advised Zcash investors to “figure out” their positions, drawing parallels to Dogecoin. He suggested using gains from ZEC to diversify into BTC, signaling prudence amid the privacy coin’s rally.

Final Thought

Zcash’s rise underscores the growing appetite for privacy-focused crypto in 2025. With a strong technical foundation, rising market interest, and grassroots support, ZEC is positioning itself as a leading choice for investors seeking secure, compliant, and anonymous digital assets—but caution and strategy remain key amid the broader market volatility.