Monero retakes privacy crown as Zcash turmoil rattles rally

Monero (XMR) has climbed back toward its all-time highs, reclaiming the lead in the privacy coin category by market capitalization, while Zcash (ZEC) faced significant setbacks. This shift follows a period where Zcash gained traction due to narratives around surveillance concerns and shielded transactions. However, Zcash experienced a sharp sell-off after the entire Electric Coin Company (ECC) development team resigned following a governance dispute with its parent nonprofit board, creating uncertainty about Zcash's future roadmap and coordination. This developer exodus contrasts with Monero's recent performance, which has quietly outperformed the broader privacy coin sector despite facing its own scrutiny, such as a September block reorganization incident. The market rotation suggests a reversal, especially as Andreessen Horowitz's crypto arm recently highlighted privacy as a key competitive moat for 2026.

(Source：The Block)