Key takeaways:
- Zcash price surged over 375% in October, leading the privacy token category.
- The shielded ZEC supply hit a record 4.9 million amid wallet and cross-chain upgrades.
- Global surveillance concerns are fueling renewed interest in privacy-centric crypto.
Zcash’s sudden resurgence has reignited global interest in privacy coins, as investors and users alike seek refuge from mounting digital surveillance. The token, which launched in 2016 to enable shielded, anonymous transactions, has climbed more than 375% in October alone—catapulting ZEC to the top of the privacy token market.
According to CoinGecko, the broader privacy coin sector’s value surged over 50% in a single day, reaching a combined market capitalization near $22 billion. Rival aggregator CoinMarketCap places the total even higher at $55 billion, with Zcash now leading the category.
Shielded supply drives momentum
Zcash’s rally isn’t just a speculative flash. The cryptocurrency’s “shielded supply”—tokens transacted privately using zero-knowledge proofs—has reached an all-time high of nearly 4.9 million ZEC, representing close to 30% of its total supply.
This growth follows upgrades from the Electric Coin Company, including new Zashi wallet features that allow cross-chain swaps and private payments via Near’s Intents system. These tools have made private transactions far more accessible, fueling real user adoption.
Yet, even as privacy tech advances, concerns linger. However, blockchain investigator ZachXBT recently cautioned that some cross-chain activity may still leave traceable links, thereby underscoring the ongoing technical challenge of achieving full anonymity across interconnected blockchains.
Global privacy tensions boost demand
Zcash’s momentum coincides with heightened global debate over digital surveillance. The European Union’s controversial “Chat Control” proposal, which would have forced encrypted message scanning, has met resistance—while Meta has resumed training its AI models on European user data, sparking new privacy concerns.
In the U.S., state-level privacy laws continue to expand, but federal efforts remain stalled. For crypto users increasingly subject to KYC checks and blockchain analytics, privacy tokens now represent both a hedge and a principle: the right to transact freely without exposure.
The future of privacy in crypto
Privacy, once a niche concern, is now central to digital freedom debates. As Zcash’s shielded ecosystem grows, it reflects a broader demand for programmable privacy—where transparency and accountability can coexist.
Also Read: Top 10 Crypto Trends for the Next Bull Run
For investors and developers, the message is clear: privacy is no longer a fringe feature but a core value shaping the next phase of crypto innovation.
