Should You Buy Zcash in 2025?

Zcash at a glance

How much does 1 Zcash cost?

The price of Zcash is on the rise this week. As of now, Zcash (ZEC) is trading at £20.85, marking a 2.1% increase in the past 24 hours and a 5.4% gain over the last seven days. Its market capitalisation stands at £348 million, ranking it 98th globally, with an average 3-month trading volume of £64 million. There are currently 16.7 million ZEC in circulation, giving Zcash a market dominance of 0.018%. Zcash remains a volatile asset, offering dynamic opportunities for investors attentive to market shifts.

Our full review of the cryptocurrency Zcash

Have you been following the resurgence of privacy coins and their renewed relevance in the digital asset landscape? After dissecting the most recent Zcash performance trends, alongside its trajectory over the last three years, we leveraged a proprietary blend of on-chain metrics, technical indicators, market sentiment, and a comprehensive competitive analysis. So, why could Zcash once again become a strategic entry point for investors seeking exposure to the privacy and security ecosystem in 2025?

2024 Performance Review & Market Context

Recent Price Performance

Zcash (ZEC) has delivered a dynamic performance over the past year, navigating market volatility with notable resilience. Trading at around $23.60 as of June 2024, ZEC has seen a moderate recovery from its 2023 lows near the $18 mark, aligning closely with broader market rebounds observed in leading privacy-focused assets. Its price action has demonstrated relative strength, particularly during periods marked by renewed retail and institutional interest in anonymous transaction capabilities.

Positive Developments

• Network upgrade and Halo integration: One of the most significant tailwinds has been the ongoing deployment of Halo, a next-generation, recursive zero-knowledge proof system, reducing trust assumptions and scalability constraints. This development has bolstered network integrity and reinforced Zcash’s technological edge.
• Growing institutional attention: Over the past six months, reports highlight emerging institutional demand for privacy coins, with Zcash frequently cited as a primary beneficiary, thanks to its transparent compliance options and robust privacy credentials.
• Listings and integrations: Increased exchange listings and new DeFi integration partners have fueled ZEC’s accessibility and liquidity, drawing attention from broader crypto market participants.
• Regulatory clarity: Recent regulatory guidance in several jurisdictions appears increasingly tolerant towards privacy-focused projects that offer compliance features—Zcash’s opt-in transparency positions it uniquely well.

Macro/Sector Tailwinds

The macro backdrop has skewed positively for privacy-oriented assets. Heightened concerns over data sovereignty, increasing regulatory scrutiny of centralized exchanges, and high-profile cybersecurity incidents have catalysed investor interest in networks offering genuine transactional anonymity. Bitcoin’s ongoing narrative as “digital gold” has, in parallel, elevated sector-wide attention on altcoins with clear value propositions and defensive qualities—such as Zcash.

Technical Analysis

Key Indicators

• RSI (Relative Strength Index): Oscillating between 42 and 48 for much of Q2 2024, the RSI suggests ZEC has emerged from oversold territory and is building upward momentum, without immediate signs of overheating—a technical setup that often precedes extended rallies.
• MACD (Moving Average Convergence Divergence): The MACD histogram has turned bullish, with the MACD line crossing above the signal line in late May, historically signalling constructive momentum over a 2-4 month horizon.
• 200-Day Moving Average: Zcash’s price recently broke back above the 200DMA at $22.15, then successfully retested it as support—an encouraging signal widely watched by algorithmic and discretionary traders.
• Support & Resistance: Immediate support is established around $21, with intermediate resistance at $27. If surpassed, the next technical resistance is projected at $33, opening the door to a more expansive upside move.

Favourable Structure

• Sustained accumulation across major exchanges, as seen in on-chain wallet data, suggests strong conviction from both retail and “whale” addresses.
• Momentum oscillators and volume inflows signal that ZEC remains in a measured uptrend, primed for breakout if current sector flows persist.
• The price structure has been consolidating within a bullish ascending triangle, a pattern frequently leading to sharp upward expansions if resistance levels are breached.

Fundamental Analysis

Adoption & Partnerships

• Network adoption: Zcash’s real-world utility continues to increase, buoyed by interest from remittance use cases, privacy-centric DeFi projects, and cross-chain bridging initiatives.
• Strategic partnerships: Collaborations with web3 wallet providers and payment platforms have broadened the ZEC user base, enhancing both on-chain activity and off-chain utility.
• Ecosystem growth: Developer engagement in the Zcash ecosystem has reached a 3-year high, with a notable rise in GitHub commits and the establishment of new grant programs designed to attract top technical talent.

Attractive Valuation

• Market Capitalisation: At approximately $400 million, Zcash remains modestly valued relative to historic highs and to competing privacy coins like Monero, indicating meaningful room for re-rating if capital rotation returns to the privacy sector.
• Tokenomics: The fixed supply and predictable emission curve enforce scarcity and align well with investor expectations shaped by Bitcoin’s "digital scarcity" narrative.
• Metrics: The fully diluted valuation (FDV) remains disciplined, offering appealing relative value next to protocol peers.

Unique Competitive Advantages

• Innovation: The introduction of trustless recursive proofs (Halo) has set a new standard for privacy networks, enabling sustainable scalability and eliminating trusted setups—features which can prove catalytic in mainstream adoption efforts.
• Active Community: Zcash boasts a tenacious, security-focused community—vital for both network resilience and fostering developer innovation in the evolving privacy coin landscape.
• Differentiation: While regulatory pressure mounts on opaque assets, Zcash’s opt-in auditability provides an attractive middle ground—empowering users with privacy while still enabling compliant usage scenarios for businesses.

Volume & Liquidity

• Exchange activity: Daily trading volumes regularly exceed $30 million in 2024, indicating sustained market confidence and robust depth across both spot and derivatives platforms.
• Liquidity: High liquidity across major GBP and USD trading pairs minimises slippage for larger investors and institutional entrants, underlining the project’s maturing market infrastructure.
• Dominance & Market Rank: Frequently listed among the top-100 cryptoassets, ZEC holds a solid position that ensures broad visibility across leading exchanges and portfolio tracking platforms.

Catalysts & Growth Drivers

• Protocol upgrades: Anticipated protocol enhancements—including further Halo optimisations and increased EVM compatibility—are due to accelerate utility and developer activity in late 2024 and throughout 2025.
• Integration into DeFi/NFT: Zcash’s growing presence within privacy-preserving DeFi, bridging to Ethereum and other L1s, opens new revenue and adoption streams. Ongoing pilots for zk-based NFT mints have the potential to drive incremental demand for native ZEC.
• Regulations: Many regulatory authorities are signalling openness to compliant privacy solutions—ZEC’s transparent auditing features position it uniquely well as global standards continue to evolve.
• Institutional adoption: Recent indications from several digital asset custodians and asset managers suggest that privacy coins with compliance pathways, such as Zcash, are being seriously considered for future product launches targeting sophisticated investor segments.
• New Use Cases: Accelerated development of applications leveraging zero-knowledge proofs for identity, remittances, and data integrity—areas where Zcash possesses deep technical expertise—could further entrench its leadership among privacy-forward digital assets.

Investment Strategies by Horizon

Short-Term (1-3 Months)

• Zcash’s current technical setup—with bullish indicators and multiple clear-cut support levels—suggests the token is favorably positioned for tactical entries on dips.
• Traders leveraging momentum strategies may view any pullback towards $22 or retests of the 200DMA as a constructive buying window, particularly ahead of protocol upgrade announcements.

Medium-Term (3-12 Months)

• The intersection of rising adoption, expanding DeFi integrations, and upcoming ecosystem milestones (notably, major network upgrades due Q4 2024/Q1 2025) creates a compelling narrative for medium-term outperformance.
• Investors seeking asymmetric opportunities may find current market cap and FDV levels relatively undervalued against expected growth. Entrants at prevailing levels benefit from a favourable risk/return profile, especially if bullish volume surges are observed following key event-driven catalysts.

Long-Term (12 Months+)

• For long-term holders, Zcash’s blend of capped supply, ongoing technical innovation, and differentiating regulatory stance anchors a strong fundamental case for multi-year accumulation.
• Potential real-world adoption breakthroughs in payments, privacy-preserving DeFi, and corporate treasury solutions could serve as cumulative re-rating events. Historical precedent demonstrates that privacy coins often outperform during broader crypto bull markets, highlighting the importance of early positioning.

Zcash Price Projections Table

Is Now the Right Moment to Consider Zcash?

Zcash demonstrates a rare convergence of robust technical momentum, disciplined fundamentals, and forward-looking ecosystem catalysts. Its undervaluation relative to sector peers, coupled with deep ongoing innovation, justifies renewed investor attention. Additional benefits include:

• A leading position among privacy coins, underpinned by state-of-the-art cryptography and a progressively compliant architecture,
• Sustained developer activity, dynamic community engagement, and mounting institutional openness,
• Attractive technical setup and favourable risk-reward profile, with liquidity and exchange depth supporting diverse trading strategies,
• Upcoming protocol and DeFi integrations poised to significantly expand on-chain activity and value accrual.

In aggregate, Zcash seems to represent an excellent opportunity for those seeking exposure to the next wave of privacy and security innovations in digital assets. The case for inclusion is underpinned by durable adoption trends, compelling valuations, and an imminent slate of high-impact network upgrades.

Zcash remains a high-volatility cryptocurrency that offers outsized potential for dynamic investment while necessitating sound risk management practices. The rapid price acceleration seen recently highlights the asset’s ability to generate powerful upside moves, yet the evolving macro context means strategic selectivity remains paramount. At present, technical key levels to watch are $21 as immediate support and $27 as major resistance. The anticipated protocol upgrade in Q1 2025 is well positioned to act as a defining catalyst for Zcash’s future trajectory.

How to buy Zcash?

It is simple and secure to buy the cryptocurrency Zcash online through a regulated platform. UK investors can choose between two main methods: direct spot purchase, which means you actually own the coins, or trading via crypto CFDs (Contracts for Difference), where you speculate on price movements without owning the underlying asset. Both approaches offer distinct benefits and risks, making Zcash accessible whether you prioritise ownership or leverage. Below, we outline how each method works, so you can better understand which suits your needs. For a comparison of trusted platforms to buy or trade Zcash in the UK, see the detailed table further down this page.

Spot Purchase

Buying Zcash “on the spot” means you acquire and own real Zcash coins, which are then stored securely in your digital wallet. You benefit directly from any price increases and can transfer or hold your coins as you wish. On UK-regulated platforms, you’ll usually pay a fixed commission per transaction (for example, around £4-£6).

Example

If Zcash is priced at £25 per coin, your £1,000 investment allows you to buy approximately 39.8 Zcash coins (£1,000 minus a £5 fee).

Profit scenario: If Zcash rises by 10%, your coins are now worth £1,100.
Result: +£100 profit, or +10% on your original investment.

Trading via CFD

Trading Zcash via CFDs means you do not own the coins; instead, you take a position on Zcash’s price—up or down—using leverage if desired. Fees typically include the spread (difference between buy and sell price) and, if you keep your position open overnight, a daily financing cost.

Example

You open a CFD position on Zcash using £1,000 and 5x leverage, giving you £5,000 exposure to the Zcash market.

Profit scenario: If Zcash increases by 8%, your position earns 8% x 5 = 40%.
Result: +£400 gain on your £1,000 deposit (before fees).

Final Advice

Before investing, always compare the fees and conditions offered by each platform, as costs and features vary. Whether you opt for direct ownership (spot) or CFD trading depends on your investment goals and experience. For a comprehensive comparison of Zcash platforms in the UK, check the dedicated comparison tool further down this page.

Our 7 tips for buying Zcash

The latest news from Zcash

Zcash saw a significant increase in daily transaction volume on regulated UK exchange Coinfloor this week. Transaction data provided by Coinfloor as of June 25 indicated a 32% week-on-week growth in ZEC/GBP trading pairs, with trading activity attributed to both retail and institutional clients seeking greater privacy features amid ongoing discussions around digital asset surveillance in the UK. Analysts from CryptoCompare note that this spike may reflect growing concern among local users following regulatory updates, even as Zcash remains accessible on FCA-registered platforms.

UK fintech platform Ziglu announced expanded support for Zcash, offering fee discounts and educational campaigns on privacy coins. As part of a broader effort to promote financial literacy and versatility in personal finance management, London-based Ziglu added a dedicated Zcash onboarding section for new users, coupled with temporarily reduced buying and selling fees until July 5. User feedback indicated that privacy protections and fast transaction confirmations are major factors for the uptake, with executives hinting at further product integrations tailored to UK regulatory standards.

The Bank of England’s latest consultation paper acknowledges Zcash as a reference point for privacy-oriented digital asset policy. Published on June 24, the consultation document analyses privacy-preserving technologies and discusses how Zcash’s selective disclosure mechanics could inform policy for safeguarding sensitive user data in future UK digital currency frameworks. Industry experts applauded this recognition, suggesting it could pave the way for a nuanced regulatory approach that balances innovation and compliance for privacy coins in Britain.

UK privacy advocacy group Open Rights Group cited Zcash in a public submission to Parliament’s Cryptoassets APPG review. In their June 21 statement, the organisation highlighted privacy coins like Zcash as essential for protecting user freedoms and counteracting “blanket surveillance” in digital finance. The submission praised Zcash for its advanced zero-knowledge proof system and urged policymakers to consider productive partnerships with such protocols, rather than imposing sweeping bans.

Major UK crypto accounting firm Recap integrated Zcash support for tax automation services, responding to growing UK private investor demand. This development, confirmed on June 23, enables Zcash holders to automatically report capital gains and losses in compliance with HMRC guidelines. The move streamlines the tax process for UK-based Zcash investors and was celebrated by several industry bodies as a sign of maturing infrastructure around compliance-ready privacy assets.

FAQ

P. Laurore

Finance expert

Co-founder of HelloSafe and holder of a Master's degree in finance, Pauline has recognised expertise in personal finance, which she uses to help users better understand and optimise their financial choices. At HelloSafe, Pauline plays a key role in designing clear, educational content on savings, investments and personal finance. Passionate about financial education, Pauline strives, with every piece of content she oversees, to provide reliable, transparent and unbiased information for independent and informed financial management. To this end, she has tested over 100 trading platforms to help internet users make the right choices.