Zcash-Driven Privacy Sector Leads Crypto Gainers Amid Broad Market Decline
The cryptocurrency market has seen significant fluctuations in value over the past year, but one sector stands out as a rare gainer above its pre-market peak. The privacy sector has climbed 213% since Bitcoin's October 2025 high, while every other segment of the market remains below its previous mark.
Zcash (ZEC) has been a major driver of this move, surging 2,496% and rising from the 82nd largest cryptocurrency to the seventh. The sector's total market capitalization has grown from $7.1 billion to $33.6 billion over the past year.
Glassnode highlighted this divergence in a recent post on social media platform X, noting that every other sector remains below its high, ranging from DeFi at negative 27% to gaming at negative 74%. The median altcoin is 58% below its price at the BTC high.