Mainstream Bitcoin Sparks Backlash Among Original Community

Bitcoin's transformation into a mainstream financial asset has sparked controversy among its original community. Katie Talati, Arca's head of research, notes that some early Bitcoin users are uneasy with the cryptocurrency's growing ties to Wall Street and major financial firms.

This change in identity is driving interest in privacy-focused cryptocurrencies such as Zcash and Monero. Talati argues that investors who value anonymity are rotating into coins that feel more 'private and uninstitutionalized.'

As Bitcoin becomes more corporate, a subset of users is hedging by moving into lesser-known tokens with privacy features.

Crypto analysts have reported that Zcash's price has risen to nearly $1,137 and Monero's price is near $510, having recovered from a recent bearish swing. The rotation in crypto has occurred as investors' interests have shifted from Bitcoin, AI tokens, and memecoins to privacy coins.

Institutional investors are also taking a greater interest in privacy coins. For instance, Grayscale Investments filed to convert the Zcash Investment Trust into a spot ETF in May 2026.