Zcash Drives 213% Surge in Privacy Coin Sector Amid Regulated Access and Supply Story

The crypto sector that's bucking the trend is privacy coins, which are trading above their October 2025 peak, up 213% according to Glassnode data. Bitcoin itself is 36% below its record high from the same time period.

This growth can be attributed to several factors, including regulated access and a supply story driven by Bitcoin's own emission discipline. Grayscale's spot Zcash product listed on NYSE Arca in August, allowing institutional investors to hold the asset for the first time.

However, it's mostly Zcash that's driving this growth, with Monero lagging behind due to access issues. The sector's market capitalization has grown from $7.1 billion a year ago to $33.6 billion, but nearly half of that added in the past 30 days.