What is expected in the development of ZEC?

Zcash is moving forward with key developments:

1. Dev Fund Renewal Vote (November 2025) – The community will vote on new funding plans to replace current grants that are ending.
2. Tachyon Offline Transactions (2026) – Upgrades to allow private Zcash (ZEC) transfers without needing internet access.
3. Shielded Payment Integrations (Ongoing) – Expanding partnerships to make private transactions easier and more common.

Deep Dive

1. Dev Fund Renewal Vote (November 2025)

Overview:
Zcash’s current development fund runs out in November 2025. The community will vote on six proposals to decide how to fund future improvements (Zcash Foundation). These funds support upgrades to the protocol, tools for users, and efforts to make governance more decentralized.

What this means:
This vote is important because ongoing funding helps keep Zcash innovative and competitive. If the vote is delayed or controversial, it could slow down progress. Supporting privacy-focused proposals could make Zcash stand out even more in the crypto space.

2. Tachyon Offline Transactions (2026)

Overview:
The Tachyon Project is working on letting users send shielded (private) ZEC transactions without needing an internet connection. This is especially useful in areas with poor connectivity. While no exact launch date is set, work is expected to ramp up after 2025 (Zcash-Nym Community Call).

What this means:
This feature could make Zcash more practical for everyday use, especially in places where internet access is unreliable. However, the technology is complex and may face adoption challenges. If successful, Zcash could lead in privacy tech that works anywhere.

3. Shielded Payment Integrations (Ongoing)

Overview:
Zcash is partnering with projects like NymVPN, which allows private ZEC payments for VPN services, and BTC Pay Server plugins to promote privacy by default. The goal is to make shielded addresses the standard for regular transactions.

What this means:
More shielded transactions mean better privacy and could reduce regulatory concerns around transparent transactions. This also helps Zcash gain traction in privacy-sensitive areas like decentralized finance (DeFi) and gaming.

Conclusion

Zcash’s roadmap focuses on strengthening its technology (Tachyon), securing funding (Dev Fund), and increasing real-world use of private transactions. While regulatory challenges remain, successful execution could make ZEC the go-to privacy coin for programmable money. How will Zcash’s governance respond if global privacy regulations become stricter?

What updates are there in the ZEC code base?

Zcash’s software received important updates in August 2025, focusing on network improvements and transitioning its ecosystem tools.

1. Network Upgrade 6.1 Activation (August 1, 2025) – Prepares the test network for new consensus rules under NU6.1.
2. Orchard Bug Fix (August 1, 2025) – Fixes an issue with how shielded transactions are counted in wallet balances.
3. Zcashd Deprecation Plan (April 17, 2025) – Plans to retire the zcashd node software by the end of 2025, replacing it with Zebra and Zallet.

Deep Dive

1. Network Upgrade 6.1 Activation (August 1, 2025)

What happened: The Zcash team finalized the code for the NU6.1 upgrade on the test network. This upgrade introduces new rules that help improve privacy and scalability. It activates at a specific testnet block (3,536,500). Developers can test these changes locally using a special command line option.
Why it matters: This shows Zcash is actively improving its technology, which is positive for the coin’s future. However, since it’s still in testing, there could be delays before it’s ready for the main network. (Source)

2. Orchard Bug Fix (August 1, 2025)

What happened: A bug was fixed where certain shielded transactions (called Orchard notes) were not properly reflected in wallet balance queries. Now, commands like getbalance and gettransaction correctly include these transactions. The default transaction version also updated to v5, compatible with the latest network upgrade.
Why it matters: This fix doesn’t directly affect Zcash’s price but is important for user confidence. Wallets now show accurate balances for shielded transactions, improving the overall user experience. (Source)

3. Zcashd Deprecation Plan (April 17, 2025)

What happened: The original Zcash node software, zcashd, will be phased out by the end of 2025. It will be replaced by Zebra (a full node implementation) and Zallet (a wallet). Some older commands will no longer be supported, and users need to update their configuration files to acknowledge this change.
Why it matters: In the short term, this transition may cause some challenges for users and developers. But in the long run, Zebra and Zallet offer better performance and easier maintenance, which should benefit the Zcash ecosystem. (Source)

Conclusion

Zcash’s recent updates focus on strengthening the protocol (NU6.1), improving wallet accuracy (Orchard fix), and modernizing its software tools (Zcashd deprecation). While these changes may bring some short-term challenges, they position Zcash for a more robust and user-friendly future. The key question is whether developers and users will quickly adopt these new tools to keep pace with the upgrades.

What could affect the price of ZEC?

Zcash is balancing growing privacy needs and technology improvements as the crypto market changes.

1. Sapling Upgrade (October 2025) – Makes private transactions much more efficient.
2. Coinbase Listing Chances – Could open doors for big investors, hinted by CEO’s ZEC follow.
3. Privacy Regulations – Facing pressure from SEC and IRS, but recent legal wins offer some hope.

Deep Dive

1. Protocol Upgrades & Partnerships (Positive Outlook)

Overview: The upcoming Sapling upgrade in October 2025 will cut the memory needed for private (shielded) transactions by 97%, making it easier to use on mobile wallets. Zcash recently teamed up with NymVPN, allowing users to pay anonymously with shielded ZEC. Also, the Maya Protocol integration planned for Q3 will let Zcash work with other blockchains for decentralized finance (DeFi) uses.

What this means: These improvements could encourage more people to use Zcash’s private transactions, which currently make up only about 19% of all ZEC activity. For context, a similar upgrade called Orchard in 2024 helped push ZEC’s price up by 74%.

2. Exchange Listings & Market Liquidity (Mixed Impact)

Overview: Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong followed Zcash founder Zooko on social media in July 2025, sparking rumors that Coinbase might list ZEC. Meanwhile, WOO X exchange launched ZEC perpetual futures with 10x leverage.

What this means: Getting listed on Coinbase could boost ZEC’s price significantly, similar to how Ethereum Classic rose 80% after its 2023 Coinbase listing. However, futures with high leverage can make prices more volatile. Currently, ZEC’s trading volume is low (turnover of 0.10), so a major exchange listing could help stabilize the market.

3. Regulatory Challenges (Potential Risks)

Overview: The IRS has spent over $600 million on blockchain surveillance tools targeting privacy coins like Zcash. The SEC increased crypto enforcement by 43% in 2025, and Zcash’s optional privacy features have drawn attention.

What this means: Some exchanges, like Kraken, have already delisted privacy coins such as Monero in 2024, and similar actions could happen with ZEC. On the bright side, a 2025 court ruling involving Tornado Cash supports the legality of shielded transactions, which may help Zcash defend its privacy features.

Conclusion

Zcash’s future depends on how well it can innovate in privacy while navigating regulatory pressures. The Sapling upgrade and potential Coinbase listing could push ZEC’s price to $70-$80 if more users adopt shielded transactions. But risks remain, including stricter regulations or mining challenges that could drop prices below $40. Key things to watch: shielded transaction activity in October and the SEC’s approach after upcoming elections.

Will Zcash’s focus on privacy keep it ahead in a world demanding compliance?

What are people saying about ZEC?

Zcash is gaining momentum thanks to positive technical signals and improvements in privacy features. Here’s what’s happening:

1. Traders targeting $60 as ZEC breaks through important resistance levels
2. NymVPN integration boosts use of private (shielded) transactions
3. Binance removes monitoring tag, easing concerns about delisting
4. Growth in shielded transactions shows rising demand for privacy

Deep Dive

1. @CryptoChartist: Bullish breakout from falling wedge

“ZEC bounces off falling wedge support – breaking above $50.20 confirms an upward trend”
– @CryptoChartist (12.3K followers · 45K impressions · 2025-08-20 11:40 UTC)
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What this means: This is a positive sign for ZEC. A falling wedge pattern often signals a trend reversal from down to up. Staying above the $50.20 resistance level (which aligns with the 100 and 200-day moving averages) could trigger automated buying by trading algorithms.

2. @nymproject: Privacy features expanded

“NymVPN now accepts shielded ZEC payments using zk-Nym credentials – combining payment privacy with network privacy”
– @nymproject (89K followers · 2.1M impressions · 2025-07-13 08:03 UTC)
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What this means: This is good news for ZEC because it increases real-world use of shielded transactions, which protect both the payment details and the user’s network data. This dual privacy approach sets Zcash apart from competitors like Monero.

3. @Binance: Regulatory concerns ease

“ZEC removed from Binance’s Monitoring Tag due to better compliance and liquidity”
– @Binance (43M followers · 15B+ impressions · 2025-07-09 09:10 UTC)
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What this means: This is a neutral to positive development. Removing the monitoring tag reduces the risk of ZEC being delisted on Binance. The change follows a drop in ZEC’s price volatility, indicating a more stable market.

4. @ShieldStats: Privacy usage on the rise

“Shielded ZEC holdings reached 3.12 million ZEC ($161 million) on June 1 – a 15% monthly increase in private transactions”
– @ShieldStats (22K followers · 380K impressions · 2025-06-01 13:17 UTC)
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What this means: This is a strong positive sign for ZEC. The growth in shielded transactions shows increasing demand for privacy features, even as regulators focus more on privacy coins.

Conclusion

Overall, the outlook for Zcash (ZEC) is bullish. Technical indicators show upward momentum, privacy upgrades are expanding real-world use, and exchanges like Binance are showing more confidence. Although the Relative Strength Index (RSI) at 73 on the 4-hour chart suggests ZEC might be temporarily overbought, the growing use of shielded transactions offers solid long-term support. Keep an eye on the shielded pool growth rate—if it stays above 5% per month, it could indicate growing interest from institutional investors in ZEC’s privacy technology.

What is the latest news about ZEC?

Zcash is making moves in privacy partnerships and gaining more trust from exchanges. Here are the key updates:

1. NymVPN Integration (July 13, 2025) – You can now use shielded ZEC payments to pay for private VPN services.
2. Binance Monitoring Tag Removed (July 9, 2025) – Binance eased concerns about ZEC, lowering the risk of it being delisted.
3. BTC Pay Server Plugin Released (July 13, 2025) – Merchants can accept shielded ZEC payments more easily.

In-Depth Look

1. NymVPN Integration (July 13, 2025)

What happened: Zcash teamed up with Nym, a privacy-focused network, to let users pay for NymVPN subscriptions using shielded ZEC transactions. This means your payment details and your internet activity are both kept private—Zcash hides the payment info, and Nym hides your IP address.

Why it matters: This partnership makes Zcash more useful in the real world by offering stronger privacy protections. It’s a win for users who want to keep both their money and online activity private. However, success depends on how much people trust decentralized VPN services. (Nym)

2. Binance Monitoring Tag Removed (July 9, 2025)

What happened: Binance took ZEC off its “Monitoring Tag” list, which means they see less risk related to liquidity, price swings, or regulatory issues. Before, this tag suggested ZEC might be removed from the exchange.

Why it matters: This is generally good news for ZEC, showing more stability and trust from one of the biggest crypto exchanges. Still, privacy coins like Zcash face ongoing regulatory challenges. Better exchange confidence might attract bigger investors, but wider use depends on clearer rules from regulators. (CoinMarketCap)

3. BTC Pay Server Plugin Released (July 13, 2025)

What happened: A new plugin for BTC Pay Server lets merchants accept shielded ZEC payments using Sapling addresses. This plugin works with light nodes, making it easier for businesses to use without heavy technical setup.

Why it matters: This helps grow Zcash’s ecosystem by supporting private payments in online shopping and business transactions. However, full privacy features with the latest protocol, Orchard addresses, are not yet supported. (Nym)

Conclusion

Zcash is focusing on improving privacy features and merchant tools while navigating regulatory challenges. Partnerships like the one with NymVPN show its technical strengths, but risks around exchange listings remain. The big question is whether shielded transactions will catch on beyond crypto enthusiasts as concerns about online privacy increase.

Why did the price of ZEC fall?

Zcash (ZEC) dropped 0.55% to $50.80 over the past 24 hours, underperforming the mostly steady crypto market, which rose 0.54%. Here’s why:

1. Privacy coin uncertainty – Qubic’s shift to mining Dogecoin caused worry across privacy-focused cryptocurrencies (CryptoNews).
2. Technical resistance – Zcash couldn’t break above the $51.45 level, leading traders to take profits.
3. Market rotation – Investors reduced risk by moving away from altcoins, causing a 2.8% drop in altcoin dominance.

In-Depth Analysis

1. Pressure on Privacy Coins (Negative Impact)

Qubic recently announced plans to target Dogecoin mining after a 51% attack on Monero (Cointelegraph). This raised concerns about mining centralization, which can affect network security. Although Zcash wasn’t directly targeted, the news:

• Shook investor confidence: Trading volume for ZEC fell 12.2% to $83.4 million as traders pulled back from privacy coins.
• Raised regulatory worries: Exchanges like Kraken stopped Monero deposits after the attack, sparking fears that similar restrictions could apply to Zcash’s private transactions.

2. Technical Pullback (Neutral Impact)

After a strong 41.7% gain over the last 30 days, Zcash hit resistance:

• Key price levels: The price was pushed back at the $50.48 Fibonacci retracement level and the $51.45 pivot point.
• Momentum signs: The MACD indicator (+0.456) shows bullish momentum weakening, even though a “golden cross” (short-term average crossing above long-term average) remains in place.
• Cooling RSI: The 7-day Relative Strength Index dropped from 66.3 to 64.7, indicating the asset is less overbought.

Conclusion

Zcash’s recent dip is mainly due to concerns specific to privacy coins and normal profit-taking after a strong rally. The $48.80 to $50 range, which was a breakout zone in May 2025, may act as support if market sentiment improves. The key question is whether ZEC can stay above its 7-day simple moving average ($50.03) to keep its bullish trend intact.