Privacy-focused Zcash (ZEC) experienced a significant 30% surge n a 24-hour period, peaking at $355 from $272, after influential crypto entrepreneur Arthur Hayes made a highly bullish prediction on social media. Hayes suggested that the token could eventually reach $10,000.
The price spike, which saw Zcash outperform all other top 50 tokens by market capitalization, was largely attributed to Hayes' post, creating a "fear of missing out" (FOMO) environment among traders. Crypto commentators noted that an endorsement from such a prominent figure encouraged a rapid influx of followers, triggering what one trader called a "market frenzy." This isn't the first time Hayes' public predictions have influenced a token's price; a similar spike followed his optimistic forecast for the HYPE token in August 2025.
While Hayes' prediction was the immediate catalyst, some market observers believe the rally also reflects a growing interest in privacy-related tokens. This sentiment is driven by increasing governmental efforts to restrict encryption and other privacy technologies.
Zcash, which launched in 2016 and uses zero-knowledge proofs to allow for both transparent and fully shielded (private) transactions, has seen its market cap cross the $5 billion threshold for the first time. The token's 24-hour surge contributed to a 490% rally over the preceding 30 days.
Fellow privacy coin Monero (XMR), the leader in the privacy coin sector by market cap, also saw a modest 3.6% gain to reach $346. Unlike Zcash, Monero remains delisted or restricted on several major cryptocurrency exchanges, including Binance and OKX.
October 2025, Cryptoniteuae