Zcash (ZEC) has officially broken an eight-year slump with a surge of over 70% in just one month.
Analysts believe the rally shows a shift in the token’s utility, positioning it against other competitors in the privacy coin space like Monero (XMR).
Is Zcash Dethroning Monero?
Data from TradingView shows that ZEC climbed beyond $70 at one point today, with weekly gains of 42% and monthly gains exceeding 73%. Its daily volume also hit $215.77 million, pushing its market cap to approximately $1.12 billion.
The surge has been fueled by new product developments and growing institutional interest. The September 16 launch of Zashi Cross Pay has expanded Zcash’s utility by allowing users to make private, cross-chain payments from shielded ZEC to major cryptocurrencies like BTC, ETH, and stablecoins.
Institutional interest is also rising as global regulatory scrutiny on transparent blockchains intensifies. Zcash’s cryptographic privacy features, powered by zero‑knowledge proofs (zk‑SNARKs), appeal to investors seeking comprehensive privacy solutions. The broader privacy‑coin sector is also trending, with Google searches for terms like “privacy coins” reaching new peaks while ZEC leads in search interest.
After years in Monero’s shadow, ZEC is now positioning itself as a serious contender in the space, with a daily trading volume that rivals XMR’s $128 million. Prominent industry figures are also bullish on the project, with Helius Lab’s CEO, Mert, favouring Zcash when asked about his opinion on Monero. The executive said they would choose the former’s token from an investment perspective, adding that the latter has “weaker privacy properties.”
Zcash Technical Outlook
ZEC’s rally has pushed past key resistance levels, with some analysts noting a breakout from a multi‑year falling wedge pattern.
The $81.81 level is a specific target, likely based on a Fibonacci extension or a key resistance point from 2021 and 2022. Technical indicators show strong upward momentum, including a high RSI and a rising MACD histogram. Short‑term targets are projected between $70 and $78, while a sustained move could reach $98, the resistance set at December 2024’s high. This places $81.81 near the midpoint of a possible larger upward move.
Overall, the view of Zcash is changing, with it no longer seen as a slow‑moving privacy coin but as one with growing utility due to CrossPay. This is supported by a technical breakout and rising demand for privacy solutions. Some caution is still advised, as rallies like this are often followed by short‑term consolidation or profit‑taking. However, the long‑term technical outlook appears much more bullish.