Overview
- ZEC touched roughly $370 this week before hovering near $358, lifting its valuation to about $5.8–$5.85 billion and marking its highest level since 2018.
- Open interest in Zcash futures reached an all-time high near $515 million, with negative funding rates and a rising long/short ratio pointing to crowded short positioning.
- Reported trading activity accelerated, with weekly volume climbing from about $690 million to nearly $1.65 billion during the latest leg higher.
- On-chain privacy usage increased as shielded balances rose to about 4.94 million ZEC—over 30% of supply—alongside reports of higher private transaction counts.
- Cited drivers include MoonPay’s on-chain swap support, a public alpha of new zero-knowledge architecture, and high-profile endorsements, while thin liquidity, exchange limits on shielded transfers, and AML constraints temper sustainability.