Zcash (ZEC) traded around $525 on January 1 following a late December pullback that tested buyer support near $500.
The privacy-focused cryptocurrency closed 2025 with an 817% annual gain despite recent price volatility.
ZEC reached an all-time high of $744 on November 7 before entering a consolidation phase.
The December correction pulled prices approximately 10% lower from late-month peaks as some investors took profits.
What Happened
Zcash surged above $500 in late 2025 for the first time in seven years.
This rally coincided with renewed interest in privacy-focused cryptocurrencies across the broader market.
Shielded Zcash supply doubled to approximately 5 million tokens during 2025.
This represents roughly 30% of the total circulating supply of 16.5 million ZEC.
The privacy coin's 24-hour trading volume remained elevated near $665 million through year-end.
Zcash maintained gains of approximately 53% over the past 30 days despite the recent pullback.
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Why It Matters
Privacy coins gained significant traction in 2025 as users sought transaction confidentiality amid increasing surveillance.
Zcash uses zero-knowledge proofs to enable fully encrypted transactions while maintaining blockchain transparency.
Asset manager Bitwise filed for a Zcash exchange-traded fund with the Securities and Exchange Commission in late 2025.
The filing signals growing institutional interest in privacy-focused digital assets.
Current support levels near $500 represent a key test for whether ZEC can maintain its recent rally structure.
The cryptocurrency's performance reflects broader momentum in privacy-centric blockchain solutions entering 2026.
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