TLDR
- Zcash (ZEC) price recovered above $700 after dropping to $598 on Saturday, sparking renewed debate between Bitcoin and Zcash communities
- ZEC is now the 12th largest crypto by market cap at over $11.2 billion and has overtaken Monero as the top privacy coin
- Leap Therapeutics rebranded to Cypherpunk Technologies as a Zcash treasury company, backed by Winklevoss Capital, causing shares to spike 170%
- Technical indicators including On-Balance Volume and Chaikin Money Flow suggest ZEC could reach $1,010 if it breaks above $748 resistance
- Arthur Hayes revealed that Zcash is the second-biggest liquid investment held by his family office Maelstrom, after Bitcoin
Zcash reclaimed the $700 price level on Sunday following a brief dip to $598 on Saturday. The recovery sparked heated discussions between Bitcoin and Zcash supporters across social media platforms.
Hunter Horsley, CEO of investment firm Bitwise, posted on X that Bitcoin maximalists would struggle to dismiss Zcash. The comment drew sharp responses from Bitcoin community members.
The "Bitcoin only, everything else is a scam" crowd —
Is going to get really twisted trying to figuring out what to say about Zcash.
— Hunter Horsley (@HHorsley) November 16, 2025
Bit Paine called the price movement a coordinated pump and dump of a venture capital-backed coin. The criticism referenced Zcash’s 1,500% rally since October.
Mert Mumtaz, CEO of RPC node provider Helius, defended Zcash and called Bitcoin community criticism conspiracy theories. Mumtaz has been a vocal supporter of the privacy coin.
The privacy-focused cryptocurrency broke past eight-year highs in October. Zcash now holds a market capitalization of over $11.2 billion, making it the 12th largest crypto by market cap according to CoinMarketCap.
Institutional Support and Corporate Adoption
ZEC overtook Monero to become the top privacy coin by market capitalization. The shift revived conversations about privacy features in the cryptocurrency industry.
Arthur Hayes, founder of BitMEX crypto exchange, disclosed in November that Zcash is the second-biggest liquid investment held by Maelstrom. His family office holds Bitcoin as its largest liquid asset.
Leap Therapeutics, a biotech company, completed a rebrand to Cypherpunk Technologies on Wednesday. The company is now a Zcash treasury company with backing from Winklevoss Capital.
Shares spiked by over 170% following the announcement. The move represents another institutional player entering the Zcash ecosystem.
Technical Analysis Points to Further Upside
Technical indicators suggest potential for further price gains. The On-Balance Volume indicator has been testing a descending trend line since November 7.
Both price and OBV are meeting resistance at the same level. A break above $748 with volume confirmation could signal the next leg up.
The Chaikin Money Flow indicator is forming a symmetrical triangle pattern. CMF tracks whether large wallet holders are moving money in or out of the asset.
A breakout above 0.14 on CMF would indicate strong inflows from bigger holders. This type of flow supported previous Zcash rallies.
ZEC broke out of a small flag pattern on November 14. The $688 level is currently acting as minor resistance.
Analysts identify $748 as the critical level for the next move. A daily close above this price could open the path to $1,010.
The first major target sits at $1,010, followed by $1,332 if momentum continues. These levels align with key Fibonacci zones and fit with the three-month trend showing gains of more than 250%.
A drop below $488 would invalidate the current bullish structure. This would likely lead to a move toward $421 and require rebuilding the technical setup.
ZEC is approaching Cardano’s ADA token in market cap rankings. ADA currently holds a market cap of over $17 billion as the 11th largest cryptocurrency.
