On November 7, privacy-focused cryptocurrency ZEC (Zcash) became the center of market attention as its price surged past $600, now stabilizing around $591, with a 24-hour gain exceeding 18%.
This price movement has once again set a new all-time high for ZEC, making it one of the best-performing cryptocurrencies of 2025.
01 Privacy Coins Defy the Market, ZEC Jumps Over 18% in a Day
Against the backdrop of a generally sluggish global cryptocurrency market, ZEC has bucked the trend with an independent rally.
According to HTX market data, on November 7, the ZEC price surged past $570, reaching $573, with a 24-hour increase as high as 16.82%.
Market analysts believe this rally is no coincidence but rather a reflection of the overall strength in the privacy coin sector.
Blockchain data platform Artemis Analytics reports that as of October 2025, the privacy coin sector has seen a year-to-date gain of 71.6%, far outpacing Bitcoin’s 27% increase.
Looking at the longer term, ZEC’s performance is even more remarkable. Since September 1, ZEC has skyrocketed from a low of $27 to $521, with a peak gain of 1,830% during this period—making it a true "dark horse" in this year’s crypto market.
02 Arthur Hayes’ $1,000 Prediction and Market Frenzy
BitMEX co-founder Arthur Hayes played a significant role in fueling ZEC’s recent surge with his public endorsements.
On November 6, Hayes posted on social media: "Next stop, ZEC at $1,000. I hope the haters keep shorting."
This isn’t the first time Hayes has publicly backed ZEC.
As early as October 30, he stated, "Nothing can stop this train, ZEC is going to $10,000," demonstrating his extremely bullish outlook on ZEC.
Hayes’ calls carry considerable weight in the crypto market, as he is known for high-conviction market predictions and his ability to sway overall sentiment.
His endorsement has undoubtedly added extra momentum to ZEC’s already strong upward trajectory.
03 ZEC’s Strong Fundamentals: Shielded Pool, Halving, and Institutional Inflows
Surge in Shielded Supply
ZEC’s price rally is underpinned by solid fundamentals. Most notably, there has been a sharp increase in Zcash shielded pool activity.
Currently, Zcash’s Orchard pool alone holds 4.97 million ZEC (about $2.59 billion), a 400% increase over the past 90 days.
Even more impressive, 30% of the total ZEC supply is now held in shielded addresses—a record high.
This data indicates that users are moving funds from exchanges to self-custody wallets and shielding them for long-term holding, reflecting strong confidence in Zcash’s privacy features.
Upcoming Halving Event
Another key driver behind ZEC’s rise is the upcoming halving event.
According to the schedule, Zcash will undergo its halving at block 3,150,000, expected around November 18, reducing the block reward from 3.125 ZEC to 1.5625 ZEC.
This means miner selling pressure will drop by 50%. With demand continuing to grow, the reduced supply is likely to further push prices higher.
Looking back, after Zcash’s 2020 halving, the price surged 1,200% within 12 months, providing a strong precedent for the potential impact of this halving.
Institutional Capital Inflows
Institutional investors are also showing strong interest in ZEC. The Grayscale Zcash Trust now manages over $137 million, indicating that institutional capital is entering ZEC through regulated channels.
Meanwhile, Hyperliquid recently added ZEC perpetual contracts, allowing traders on this popular decentralized exchange to use leverage on ZEC.
As of October 30, ZEC open interest had climbed to about $115 million, signaling rapidly growing interest in ZEC within the derivatives market as well.
04 The Privacy Coin Revival: Zcash Leads the Charge
In 2025, privacy coins have experienced a true revival, with ZEC undoubtedly leading the way. Several key factors are driving renewed market interest in privacy coins:
CBDCs and On-Chain Surveillance Fatigue
As central bank digital currencies (CBDCs) advance in multiple countries, the prospect of governments tracking every transaction is making many uneasy.
Privacy coins have become the "off switch" for this all-encompassing surveillance, allowing users to reclaim financial privacy.
Regulatory Advantage
Unlike other privacy coins such as Monero, Zcash offers optional privacy—users can choose between transparent or shielded transactions.
This feature allows ZEC to remain listed on major exchanges like Coinbase, Kraken, and Gemini, whereas Monero has been delisted from many platforms. This regulatory advantage brings greater liquidity to ZEC.
Technology Upgrades
Electric Coin Company has announced its Q4 2025 roadmap, which includes introducing ephemeral transparent addresses for NEAR Intents-based ZEC transactions and supporting P2SH multisig on Keystone hardware wallets.
Additionally, the launch of Zashi Wallet 2.0 has further lowered the barrier for users to utilize shielded transactions.
The wallet enables shielded functionality by default, integrates Tor routing, and offers decentralized fiat on/off ramps (no KYC required), significantly improving user experience.
05 Risks and Challenges: Caution Amid the Frenzy
Despite ZEC’s promising outlook, investors should be aware of potential risks:
Regulatory Uncertainty
Privacy coins continually face regulatory pressure. For example, Japan has banned "untraceable" tokens.
While ZEC’s optional privacy currently provides some protection, the global regulatory environment for privacy coins remains stringent.
Technical Debt
Zcash’s transition to full proof-of-stake (PoS) is still 6–12 months away, and technical challenges may arise during this period. It’s important to closely monitor development progress.
Market Volatility Risk
ZEC has seen massive short-term gains, and the RSI indicator is flashing overbought signals, suggesting a risk of short-term pullbacks from profit-taking.
06 How to Participate in the ZEC Ecosystem
For investors looking to get involved in the ZEC ecosystem, there are several options:
- Spot trading: Buy ZEC directly on major exchanges like Gate.
- Derivatives trading: Gate has launched ZEC perpetual contracts, offering leveraged trading opportunities.
- Yield farming: Stake ZEC on the Shielded Labs testnet to earn approximately 30% annualized returns.
Outlook
The rise of Zcash marks the transformation of privacy from an optional feature in cryptocurrency to an essential core value.
With the halving event approaching, shielded supply hitting new highs, and endorsements from influential figures like Arthur Hayes, ZEC’s prospects look promising.
Whether or not ZEC reaches the $1,000 milestone, the revival of privacy coins is already underway—and Zcash is at the very center of this movement.
