Zcash Surges Past $600 as Traders Drive 40% Spike, Flipping Monero by Market Cap

Key Takeaways:

• ZEC surged 40% connected May 6 to deed $600, concisely pushing its full marketplace capitalization to $10 billion.
• Multicoin Capital built a large ZEC position, citing its seizure-resistant acceptable for the 2026 market.
• Analysts suggest ZEC could rally further to eclipse its 2025 highest of implicit $700 if momentum persists.

Market Mechanics and Liquidations

The privacy coin Zcash (ZEC) rocketed past the $500 people precocious Tuesday and continued its ascent done May 6, peaking astatine $600. The surge, reminiscent of the integer asset’s rally successful the last 4th of 2025, saw ZEC flip Monero arsenic the apical privacy coin by marketplace capitalization.

Market information amusement ZEC, which traded astir $350 astatine the commencement of the month, saw its archetypal spike toward the evening of May 5, jumping from $430 to $520 successful astir 2 hours. It roseate gradually to $541 for the remainder of the time into the aboriginal hours of Wednesday. A 2nd question yet propelled ZEC to $600, concisely pushing 24-hour gains past 40% and its marketplace capitalization to $10 billion.

Meanwhile, ZEC’s upward inclination saw astir $44 cardinal successful abbreviated bets connected the cryptocurrency liquidated successful 12 hours and astir $59 cardinal implicit 24 hours.

According to a caller Bitcoin.com News report, the ZEC rally follows endorsements from high-profile figures similar Raoul Pal, who labeled the plus a “ bitcoin sibling.” Similarly, Grayscale Chairman Barry Silbert has championed Zcash, suggesting the privacy coin could replicate Bitcoin’s historical 2017 bull run.

Beyond influencer endorsements, Zcash appeared to leap connected reports that Multicoin Capital, a crypto-focused concern firm, had built a important ZEC position. Explaining the move, Multicoin Capital cited Zcash’s instrumentality to the “cypherpunk” doctrine that birthed cryptocurrency. The steadfast besides identified a projected wealthiness confiscation measure successful California arsenic a informing awesome that prompted the pivot to ZEC, which it said tin support its interests.

“We judge that genuinely private, censorship and seizure-resistant assets person [a] wide product-market acceptable and request is accelerating. We judge ZEC is the cleanest mode to explicit this thesis successful nationalist markets,” said Tushar Jain, co-founder astatine Multicoin.

The listing of ZEC connected Robinhood, which opens entree to millions of retail investors, is besides cited arsenic a catalyst for the latest surge.

However, critics pass that ZEC’s latest parabolic terms determination whitethorn beryllium “overextended” and driven much by speculative fever than onchain utility. Others reason that portion “shielded” proviso has deed an all-time precocious of much than 31%, it increases the hazard of “dark pool” manipulation. In specified a scenario, ample movements by whales are hidden from nationalist view, perchance starring to liquidity crunches connected transparent exchanges.

Still, with play gains nearing 80%, ZEC has importantly outperformed the broader marketplace and volition apt proceed drafting involvement from retail investors chasing momentum. Should this inclination persist, the privacy coin could rally further, perchance eclipsing its 2025 highest of conscionable implicit $740.