TLDR
- Zcash (ZEC) jumped 30% in 24 hours after BitMEX co-founder Arthur Hayes predicted the token could reach $10,000
- The privacy coin has rallied 490% over the past 30 days and crossed $5 billion in market cap for the first time
- Hayes posted his bullish prediction in a “vibe check” message on X, triggering FOMO among traders
- Zcash uses zero-knowledge proofs for privacy and launched in October 2016 after nearly nine years of dormancy
- Technical analysts point to an ascending triangle pattern and recent Grayscale trust launch as positive signs
Zcash climbed 30% in a single day after crypto entrepreneur Arthur Hayes said the privacy-focused token could eventually reach $10,000. The rally pushed ZEC from $272 to a peak of $355 in the hours following Hayes’ post on X.
Hayes, the co-founder and former CEO of BitMEX, shared his bullish outlook in what he called a “vibe check” message on Sunday. The prediction sparked immediate buying activity among traders.
Vibe check $ZEC to $10k pic.twitter.com/tBc0WaxzZ1
— Arthur Hayes (@CryptoHayes) October 26, 2025
The token outperformed all other cryptocurrencies in the top 50 by market cap during this period. Zcash has now gained 490% over the past 30 days.
The rally pushed Zcash past the $5 billion market cap threshold for the first time in its history. This milestone came on Sunday, according to data from CoinGecko.
Crypto trader AB Kuai Dong suggested the surge was driven by Hayes’ endorsement. He wrote that the backing from a “legendary Silicon Valley investor” caused many traders to follow the trend.
Another trader using the handle Clemente admitted to buying Zcash because of “so much fomo” they couldn’t stay out of the rally. This sentiment appeared widespread across crypto social media.
$ZEC $𝟯𝟰𝟲.𝟭𝟱 🟢🟢🟢 +26.5%
Arthur Hayes' bullish endorsement sparks FOMO for Zcash, elevating its momentum alongside BNB and Virtuals Protocol.
This drives renewed crypto optimism, positioning ZEC as a weekly standout amid breakout signals. pic.twitter.com/zFNoGh4Ols
— Augura_ (@Augura_) October 26, 2025
Hayes has influenced token prices before. At the WebX 2025 conference in Tokyo during August, he said Hyperliquid’s HYPE token could increase 126 times over three years. That prediction led to a 4% spike in HYPE’s price.
Privacy Tokens Draw Attention
Some traders believe the rally reflects broader interest in privacy-focused cryptocurrencies. A trader under the handle JonnyJpegs said users want to invest in privacy tokens as governments increase efforts to restrict encryption technologies.
Zcash launched in October 2016 and has spent much of the past nine years in relative obscurity. The token uses an encrypted ledger with zero-knowledge proofs for transaction privacy.
Users can choose between transparent transactions that are publicly viewable or fully shielded transactions. When shielded, both the sender and receiver remain private along with the transaction amount.
Other privacy coins also gained during this period. Monero, the largest privacy coin by market cap, rose 3.6% in 24 hours to trade at $346.
Monero remains delisted or restricted on most major exchanges. Binance, OKX, and several European platforms do not offer the token.
Technical Patterns Support Rally
Technical analyst Lennaert Snyder noted that Zcash has been testing the $305 resistance level. The analyst mentioned several catalysts including a Grayscale trust launch, a Hyperliquid listing, and an upcoming halving event.
$ZEC absolutely blew my mind.
Price pumped +755% in 3 months, testing the $305 "ATH" resistance.
Greyscale launched a @Zcash trust this month, a Hyperliquid listing, an upcoming halving, and the "BTC vs. Zcash" discussion triggered explosive momentum.
Crypto being crypto. 👌 pic.twitter.com/P1eXmYrWAP
— Lennaert Snyder (@LennaertSnyder) October 25, 2025
Another analyst, Clifton FX, identified an ascending triangle pattern on the 8-hour chart. This pattern could indicate potential for another 100% to 150% price increase if it breaks out.
The token is currently trading within an ascending parallel channel. Technical indicators suggest momentum continues to build as the RSI climbs higher.
However, some analysts expressed caution. The RSI reading at 79 suggests Zcash may be overbought. This could lead to a correction due to buyer exhaustion.
Zcash is trading at $333.77 with traders watching the $281.35 support level closely.
