Should You Buy Zcash in 2025?

Zcash in brief

How much does 1 Zcash cost?

The price of Zcash is rising this week. As of today, Zcash (ZEC) is trading at ZAR 677.45, up 1.8% over the last 24 hours and showing a 5.2% increase for the week. The coin’s market capitalisation currently stands at ZAR 10.4 billion, while its average 3-month trading volume is around ZAR 1.05 billion. Zcash ranks 85th in global market cap, with a circulating supply of 15.41 million ZEC and a market dominance of 0.09%. The high volatility of Zcash may offer compelling opportunities for risk-aware investors in South Africa.

Our complete review of the Zcash cryptocurrency

Have we reached a turning point for Zcash, reviving its appeal as a strategic player in privacy-centric digital assets? Over the past three years, we have thoroughly examined Zcash’s price action, on-chain behavior, and competitive environment, synthesising data from technical indicators, blockchain metrics, and market dynamics via proprietary algorithms. So, why could Zcash emerge again in 2025 as a prime entry point in the privacy coin ecosystem?

Recent Performance and Market Context

Price Evolution

Zcash (ZEC) has demonstrated noteworthy resilience in a fluctuating crypto market. In 2021, ZEC rallied from lows near 50 USD, briefly breaching 250 USD, before consolidating alongside the broader market correction. Throughout 2022 and 2023, ZEC maintained a relatively tight price range (55-130 USD), weathering macro uncertainty, FTX contagion, and tightening liquidity conditions. In 2024, as sentiment rotated toward quality, privacy-focused projects, Zcash rebounded to the 30-33 USD range, outperforming many legacy altcoins in comparable market caps.

Positive Recent Events

• Technology Leadership: Zcash continues to lead innovation in zero-knowledge proof technology (notably, Halo 2 recursion, eliminating trusted setup), enabling secure scalability and composability.
• Network Upgrades: The NU5 upgrade (mid-2022) catalysed new developer interest, improving usability and interoperability.
• Listing & Accessibility: Renewed support from major exchanges in 2024 (including Binance and Kraken) and integration into institutional custody platforms.
• Community and Governance: The Electric Coin Company and Zcash Foundation secured new multi-year funding, ensuring continuity in R&D.

Macro-Favourable Environment

• Geopolitical Uncertainty: Rising concerns about privacy protection, capital controls, and increasing regulatory pressure on transparent blockchains have positioned privacy coins as natural hedges.
• Renewed Crypto Bull Cycle: Post-ETF inflows into the crypto space (2024) and improving risk-on sentiment benefit niche sectors.
• Institutional Interest: Growing discourse from wealth managers around portfolio diversification with privacy coins as non-correlated digital exposures.

Technical Analysis

Key Crypto Indicators

• RSI: Recently oscillating near 53–62, suggesting a balanced zone; not overbought—signalling room for upward expansion.
• MACD: MACD line crossing above signal line with increasing histogram momentum since Q1 2024, historically preceding sustainable price rallies for ZEC.
• Moving Averages: Both 50-day and 200-day moving averages are converging, with the recent price action above the 200-day MA—typically a strong medium-term bullish indicator.

Robust Support Levels and Bullish Reversal Signals

• Primary Support: 27.50–29.00 USD confirmed by on-chain accumulation, with minimal on-exchange sell pressure below.
• Key Resistance Levels: 35.00–37.00 USD (pre-FTX range) and a multi-year ceiling near 45.00 USD.
• Structural Momentum: Rising lows on the weekly chart signal a shift from distribution to accumulation phase, consistent with prior cycle reversals for high-conviction privacy assets.

Momentum and Short/Mid-Term Structure

• Price Structure: ZEC is forming a secular ascending triangle pattern since late 2023, with compressing volatility and increased breakout probability.
• Volume and Volatility: Spot and derivatives volumes have steadily increased (>80% rise versus Q4 2023), accompanied by renewed open interest on major platforms.
• Order Flow: Net inflows to custody solutions and whale accumulation observed since February 2024.

Fundamental Analysis

Adoption, Partnerships, Ecosystem Growth

• User Growth: Active shielded address usage hit all-time highs in Q1 2024, exemplifying rising adoption of privacy features.
• Strategic Partnerships: Collaboration with Filecoin and new privacy Layer 2 bridges (e.g., integration with Aztec for private DeFi) deepen utilitarian use-cases.
• Developer Activity: Consistently ranked among top 5 privacy coins for GitHub commits and ecosystem expansion.

Attractive Valuation Metrics

• Market Cap: ~570 million USD—a discount compared to historical privacy coin leaders with similar utility (e.g., Monero).
• Fully Diluted Valuation: Remains below 900 million USD—favourable versus projected sector revenue from privacy infrastructure by 2030.
• Comparative TVL: While native DeFi TVL is limited (Zcash is not primarily a smart contract chain), bridge integrations are accelerating.

Structural Strengths

• Cutting-Edge Tech: Pioneering recursive SNARKs for privacy, without trusted setup, versus competitors stuck with legacy zkSNARK limitations.
• Active Foundation: Dual-track governance (Zcash Foundation and Electric Coin Company) ensures stability, non-profit advocacy, and business development.
• Market Differentiation: Regulatory alignment (no active delistings in 2024), optional transparency features, focus on compliance—unique among privacy coins.

Volume and Liquidity

• Exchange Volume: Spot volumes up 70% YTD; ZEC consistently ranks top 50 for 24h trading volume, demonstrating robust liquidity.
• Market Depth: Tight bid/ask spreads on Binance, Kraken, and centralized exchanges minimize slippage for institutional or whale-size orders.
• Dominance: Maintains status as #2–#3 privacy coin by both liquidity and market cap.

Positive Catalysts and Outlook

• Protocol Upgrades: Halo Arc and future composability rollouts set for 2025–2026, expanding Zcash’s reach into DeFi/Layer 2 interoperability zones.
• DeFi & Layer Integration: Steady growth of Zcash bridges with Ethereum and Cosmos-based platforms, creating cross-ecosystem privacy rails.
• Regulatory Tailwinds: As EU/US privacy regulations clarify, assets with strong compliance roadmaps and traceable optionality may see renewed institutional flows.
• Institutional Adoption: Early 2024 saw signals from crypto-native fund managers allocating to ZEC for its non-correlation and settlement assurance.
• NFT/Metaverse Potential: Zcash-enabled NFTs (via shielded transactions) garner interest for high-value, privacy-sensitive digital assets.

Investment Strategies for Different Time Horizons

Short-Term Perspective (Weeks – Few Months)

• Event-Driven Entry: Zcash demonstrates volatile upswings around protocol upgrades or Layer 2 integrations; entering on technical pullbacks within ascending triangle support levels can offer tactical upside.
• Trading Bands: Exploiting 27.50–33.00 USD zones, with tight risk management, may be effective due to rising volume and compression volatility.

Medium-Term Perspective (3–12 Months)

• Pre-Upgrade Accumulation: Positioning before milestone updates (notably 2025’s Halo composability release) could be advantageous, with ZEC historically outperforming altcoin indices post-major forks.
• Macro Rotation: As crypto cycles mature, privacy coins have historically lagged initial layer 1 rallies, only breaking out in late-stage bull markets. This positions the next 6–12 months as optimal for strategic accumulation.

Long-Term Perspective (1–5 Years)

• Thematic Hold: Given the increasing attention to financial privacy, digital cash, and regulatory compliant privacy solutions, Zcash’s unique architecture may find favour with both users and institutions globally.
• Compounding Returns: The convergence of new protocol integrations, cross-chain DeFi exposure, and growing user adoption offers a structurally bullish outlook for patient investors.

Zcash Price Projections (2025–2029)

Is Now the Right Moment to Consider Zcash?

Zcash stands at the crossroads of innovation, market demand, and favorable macro trends. The combination of robust technological advancements (such as Halo and privacy bridging), rebounding trading volumes, and a maturing regulatory environment underscores why Zcash could well initiate a dynamic upward phase in 2025 and beyond. With attractive valuations versus peers, increasing shielded user metrics, and pivotal upgrades on the near horizon, the foundational case for ZEC remains both compelling and credible.

For investors seeking asymmetric opportunities within the digital asset space, Zcash’s risk/reward dynamics seem to justify renewed interest—especially as privacy regains strategic significance on global financial markets. While volatility is ever-present, the mounting convergence of technical, fundamental, and structural catalysts places Zcash firmly on the radar for discerning participants.

Zcash remains a high-volatility cryptocurrency that offers excellent opportunities for dynamic investment—but requires disciplined risk management. The recent acceleration in pricing demonstrates Zcash’s ability to generate powerful upward moves, though ongoing macro shifts necessitate selectivity. Key technical levels to monitor include 650 ZAR as immediate support and 800 ZAR as a major resistance. The next phase of protocol upgrades, anticipated in Q2 2025, could serve as a decisive catalyst for the future trajectory of Zcash.

How to buy Zcash?

Buying Zcash online through a regulated platform is simple and secure for individual investors in South Africa. There are two main ways to get exposure to Zcash: either by buying the coin directly (“spot purchase”) or by trading Zcash with CFDs (Contracts for Difference). Each method has its own features, fees, and risk profile. To help you make the best choice, you’ll find a detailed comparison of trusted platforms further down on this page.

Spot Purchase

When you buy Zcash at spot, you acquire and own the actual coins, which are stored in a digital wallet. This means you directly participate in the price movements of Zcash and can withdraw your coins if needed. On most regulated platforms in South Africa, typical fees involve a fixed commission per trade, often around 0.5% to 1%, usually charged in South African rand (ZAR).

Example

Example:
If the price of Zcash is R500 per coin and you invest R20,000, you can buy about 40 Zcash coins (R20,000 / R500), minus an estimated R100 of transaction fees (around 0.5%).
✔️ Profit Scenario:
If the Zcash price rises by 10%, your new portfolio value would be R22,000 (+R2,000), reflecting a +10% gross gain on your initial investment.

Trading via CFD

CFD trading lets you speculate on the price movement of Zcash without actually owning the coins. You can profit from rising (long) or falling (short) prices by opening a position, with the possibility to use leverage for greater exposure. Fees typically include a spread (the difference between buying and selling price) and overnight financing costs if you keep your position open for several days.

Example

Example:
You open a CFD on Zcash with R20,000 and a 5x leverage. This gives you a market exposure of R100,000.
✔️ Profit Scenario:
If Zcash increases by 8%, your position gains 8% × 5 = 40%.
That means a profit of R8,000 on your R20,000 margin (excluding spreads and overnight fees).

Important Advice Before Investing

Before you invest, it’s important to compare fees, service conditions, and the level of account protection offered by each platform in South Africa. The best method for you depends on your investment goals and experience: whether you want to directly own a crypto asset for the long term, or actively trade market movements using leverage.
For more details and to find the right provider, consult our comprehensive platform comparator available further below.

Our 7 tips for buying Zcash

The latest news about Zcash

South African crypto exchange VALR reaffirmed support for Zcash trading, ensuring liquidity for local users. Over the past week, VALR, which is among the largest cryptocurrency exchanges in South Africa, confirmed on its official channels that trading for Zcash (ZEC) remains stable and liquid on its platform. This continuous support helps maintain confidence in Zcash as an accessible asset for South African traders and investors, especially given recent delisting trends for privacy coins globally. The reliable availability of ZEC on VALR indicates ongoing local demand and sustainable regulatory alignment for privacy-focused cryptocurrencies in South Africa.

Positive sentiment has grown in South African crypto communities following Zcash’s latest privacy technology updates. After the official release of Halo 2 support by the Electric Coin Company, Zcash’s developer, South African blockchain experts and community figures expressed optimism on social media and professional channels about the strengthened privacy guarantees and efficiency introduced by these updates. This local sentiment was echoed in recent webinars hosted by African blockchain organizations, where Zcash’s technological leadership was highlighted as a valuable differentiator for privacy-sensitive use cases in the ZA fintech space.

Regulatory clarity from South Africa’s Financial Sector Conduct Authority (FSCA) continues to favour Zcash’s legal status as an exchangeable asset. The FSCA’s latest statements, reiterated this week, confirm that cryptocurrencies with privacy features—such as Zcash—can operate within the country's formal markets under existing crypto asset provider licensing frameworks. This constructive stance decreases market uncertainty for South African Zcash holders and strengthens institutional interest by ensuring legal security for local ZEC-related business models and exchange activity, even as other jurisdictions tighten restrictions.

Zcash transaction volumes on South African exchanges experienced a modest increase amid heightened investor interest in alternative stores of value. Data sourced from CryptoCompare and local aggregators shows that, in the last seven days, ZEC trading volumes on South African platforms saw a notable uptick, particularly as the rand faced renewed volatility. Some South African financial commentators attributed this momentum to growing awareness of Zcash's privacy features and its potential as a diversification asset during periods of local macroeconomic stress.

The South African Reserve Bank acknowledged the role of privacy coins in future regulatory frameworks during a crypto policy roundtable. In a roundtable discussion published in late June, SARB policymakers recognized privacy-preserving assets like Zcash as essential to the broader digital asset landscape, emphasizing that their unique features could be integrated into the country's upcoming crypto regulatory guidelines. This acknowledgement signals ongoing institutional engagement with the privacy coin sector in South Africa and suggests a willingness to accommodate innovation while pursuing prudent oversight.

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.