Should You Buy Zcash in 2025?

Why trust HelloSafe?

At HelloSafe, our expert has been monitoring the evolution of Zcash cryptocurrency for over three years. Every month, hundreds of thousands of users across South Africa rely on us to analyse market trends and identify the best investment opportunities. Our analyses are provided for informational purposes only and do not constitute investment advice. In line with our ethical charter, HelloSafe has never purchased Zcash or received any compensation from entities associated with its ecosystem.

Zcash in brief

How much does 1 Zcash cost?

The price of Zcash is up this week. As of today, Zcash (ZEC) is trading at approximately R886.40, with a 24-hour dip of -1.16% but a 7-day gain of +2.8%. Its current market capitalization stands around R14.85 billion, and the average trading volume over the past 3 months is about R1.38 billion. Ranked #83 in total crypto market cap, ZEC has 16.66 million coins in circulation, representing a market dominance of about 0.09%. Investors should note Zcash’s privacy features and recent strong momentum, but keep in mind that like all cryptocurrencies, ZEC remains subject to significant price volatility.

Our full review of the Zcash cryptocurrency

After analysing the latest Zcash (ZEC) market trends and evaluating its evolution over the past three years, we have leveraged multiple sources—on-chain indicators, technical signals, market data, and competitive positioning—integrated via our proprietary algorithms. Zcash’s recent trajectory, combined with its sustained innovation and renewed investor attention, stands out as a robust case study in the privacy coin ecosystem. Why, then, could Zcash emerge in 2025 as a strategic entry point in the digital asset privacy sector?

Performance and Market Context

Recent Price Evolution

Zcash’s price trajectory since mid-2022 highlights a resilient upswing, with ZEC up +78.7% over the last twelve months and trading in early June 2025 around $48 USD. This rebound follows a period of consolidation observed across privacy-focused layer-1s, with Zcash notably breaking above the $40–$43 resistance in Q2 2025—a move strongly supported by volume and decisive market sentiment shifts. Over the past week, Zcash has further appreciated 2.8%, affirming newfound bullish confidence amid volatile sector conditions.

Recent Positive Events

• Tachyon Project (Q2 2025): A cryptographic breakthrough allowing users to sync wallets with the blockchain using untrusted third-party servers, without revealing sensitive data—dramatically improving both privacy and usability.
• Zashi 2.0.3 Release: An upgrade that fully removes “transparent receivers” from unified addresses, enforcing privacy-by-default for all wallet users.
• Maya Protocol Integration: Unlocks trustless, cross-chain swaps for ZEC, enabling institutional and DeFi access without centralized exchange risk.

Zcash’s developer and foundation reserves remain solid: with over $11.5M of unrestricted assets as of Q1 2025, both innovation and outreach initiatives are well-funded into the foreseeable future.

Macro/Sector Context

The global cryptocurrency market is rebounding: risk appetite is gradually returning, while demand for privacy-optimised assets is resurgent—driven by tightening regulatory attention on on-chain anonymity and clear trends towards data sovereignty. The privacy token segment is regaining traction, as evidenced by stable capitalisation and volume inflows in Q2 2025.

Technical Analysis

On-Chain and Price Structure Indicators

• RSI (14-day): Oscillates between 52.13–68.56 (as of June 2025), indicating moderate bullish momentum, yet still below overbought thresholds—suggestive of sustainable upward pressure rather than speculative froth.
• MACD: Strongly positive at 3.46, with an upward crossover in late May, confirming a shift to bullish structure on daily/weekly timeframes.
• Moving Averages: Price comfortably above 50- and 100-day moving averages, confirming medium-term trend reversal.
• Support: $47.50 is the primary technical support—recently validated by a high-volume bounce, underscoring strong market confidence at these levels.
• Resistance levels: $50.22 (short-term), extending up to $57.63 (major resistance for summer 2025). Closing above these levels would likely unlock considerable upside.

Favourable Structures & Momentum

• Persistent bullish divergences visible on lower timeframes—momentum oscillators and OBV (On-Balance Volume) indicate accumulation phases.
• Rising volume and open interest on derivative exchanges underpin gathering interest from sophisticated investors, hinting at a strong, sustained rally probability into H2 2025.

Fundamental Analysis

Adoption, Partnerships & Ecosystem Growth

• Adoption Upside: Zcash continues to lead as the reference privacy coin in the U.S. and many emerging markets. The latest integrations (NEAR and Maya Protocol) extend ZEC’s reach into DeFi and cross-chain sectors, previously out of its scope.
• Technology: ZEC’s implementation of zk-SNARKs remains unmatched for privacy at scale—recent upgrades further raise the bar on non-custodial, user-friendly transaction confidentiality.
• Community & Governance: Backed by the Electric Coin Company and Zcash Foundation, both with clear governance structures and strong commitment to decentralisation and openness.
• Ecosystem: A thriving developer base, growing toolkits (including wallet innovations), and frequent protocol upgrades keep the project at the vanguard of privacy innovation.

Valuation

• Market Cap: ~$800M USD, positioning Zcash in the Top 100 (CoinMarketCap #83). The strong market cap relative to its supply and technological moat offers a favourable risk-reward profile.
• Supply: With only ~16.66M ZEC in circulation (max 21M), Zcash maintains a scarcity dynamic echoing Bitcoin, a compelling argument for long-term holders.
• Liquidity: 24h volumes exceeding $74M illustrate robust market presence and institutional-grade liquidity—far above sector median for privacy coins.

Dominance & Positioning

• Zcash’s dominance within the regulated privacy coin segment makes it a reference play for investors seeking defensive digital asset exposure amidst increasing surveillance and data mining.
• Positioned as a proxy for privacy advocacy in crypto portfolios—supported by both user-driven and institutional narratives.

Catalysts and Positive Outlook

Protocol Updates & Integrations

• Tachyon and Zashi: Key upgrades operational in 2025, improving both privacy and interoperability.
• Cross-chain DeFi: Maya and NEAR integrations signal an entry into new verticals, opening ZEC to wider capital markets and passive income avenues.
• Network Growth: Anticipated Layer-2 developments and SDK rollouts may unlock new developer, wallet, and enterprise use cases over the coming year.

Regulatory Climate & Institutional Involvement

• While European regulatory headwinds exist (planned privacy coin restrictions for 2027), areas including the U.S., Africa, and select Asian markets remain open and increasingly receptive to privacy solutions. Emerging crypto-centric jurisdictions could even benefit from the decline of competitors.
• Institutional dialogue with privacy coin foundations—including Zcash’s—has grown, supporting prospects for future endorsements, ETF-style vehicles, or novel integration deals.

Market Sentiment

• Data indicates a 100% bullish community outlook, with rising social media, search, and on-chain activity confirming traction.
• Renewed macro focus on anti-censorship and personal sovereignty aligns with Zcash’s core narrative, serving as a potential magnet for next-cycle capital inflows.

Investment Strategies for Zcash

Short-Term (Weeks to Months)

• Entry Points: Technical pullbacks to $47.50–$48.00 have historically offered attractive risk/reward. Near-term breakouts above $50.22 may catalyse rapid surges to $57.00–$62.00, in sync with price consensus.
• Momentum Trading: With RSI and MACD aligned, momentum strategies can exploit volatility around protocol update announcements and liquidity bursts.

Medium-Term (6–18 Months)

• Accumulation Strategy: Transitional period, as ZEC solidifies integrations and captures DeFi/NFT users. Accumulating during consolidation phases—especially before major governance or Layer-2 milestones—could position portfolios for above-average return potential.
• Yield & Interoperability: The expansion into cross-chain DeFi unlocks new staking, lending, and passive accrual opportunities previously unavailable to ZEC.

Long-Term (1.5–5 Years)

• Hold Thesis: Zcash’s limited supply, enduring technology advantage, and founding principles of privacy support a high-conviction hold narrative. As traditional finance moves towards surveillance, privacy assets like ZEC can appreciate disproportionately.
• Strategic Allocations: A core position in privacy coins provides insurance against mainstream blockchain transparency. Timing accumulation before or during regulatory inflection points may yield significant alpha.
• Ideal Positioning: Periods ahead of major protocol upgrades (notably the next Tachyon iteration or any Layer-2 launch) or technical dips to long-term moving averages present prime moments for building exposure.

Zcash Price Forecast – 5-Year Projection

Is Now the Right Time to Consider Zcash?

In summary, Zcash seems to represent an excellent opportunity for investors seeking differentiated exposure within the digital asset ecosystem. Its resurgence is underpinned by robust fundamentals: cutting-edge privacy technology, committed governance with strong financial backing, deep liquidity, and compelling network effects. Current technical structures reinforce a positive medium/long-term outlook, with clear evidence of accumulation and renewed momentum.

Key advantages—such as breakthrough updates (Tachyon, Zashi), expanded DeFi interoperability, and sustained market leadership—solidify ZEC’s role as a potential outperformer in a maturing digital privacy landscape. As digital sovereignty and censorship resistance grow in importance, Zcash’s strategic positioning appears more relevant than ever.

While privacy market headwinds exist, particularly from anticipated EU regulations, Zcash’s global architecture, persistent developer activity, and alignment with privacy-first trends justify a renewed investor focus. The current technical and fundamental context justifies a strengthened attention from sophisticated and forward-looking investors—Zcash could well be entering a new bullish phase of its multi-year cycle.

Zcash remains a high-volatility crypto asset that offers excellent opportunities for dynamic investment, requiring rigorous risk management. The recent price acceleration demonstrates Zcash’s ability to generate swift and powerful moves; yet, the evolving macro environment requires selectivity. Key technical levels to watch are R9,000 as immediate support and R10,400 as a major resistance. The next protocol upgrade, scheduled Q2 2026, could prove decisive for Zcash’s future evolution.

How to buy Zcash?

It’s simple and secure to buy Zcash (ZEC) online in South Africa via a regulated crypto platform. You have two main ways to invest: either by direct spot purchase—where you own and store real Zcash in a wallet—or via a CFD (Contract for Difference), which lets you trade on Zcash’s price without owning the coin. Each approach has its own benefits and risk profile, and both offer user-friendly entry points for South African investors. For a detailed comparison of the top local and international platforms to buy Zcash, see our comparison table further down the page.

Spot Purchase (Owning Zcash)

A spot purchase means you buy real Zcash coins and hold them in your wallet—just like buying physical gold, you own the asset outright. Spot trading on regulated exchanges in ZA usually charges a flat transaction fee, often around 0.25–0.5%, plus a small fixed fee in South African Rand (ZAR).

Example: Spot Purchase Scenario

Suppose Zcash trades at $48.00 (about R900 at a USD/ZAR rate of 18.75). With R18,750 (roughly $1,000), you could acquire about 20.8 ZEC coins (R18,750 / R900 per ZEC), after accounting for approx. R100 in transaction fees.

Gain scenario: If Zcash’s price rises by 10% to R990 per coin, your wallet is now worth R20,592 (20.8 × R990). Result: Gross gain of R1,842, i.e. +10% on your initial investment.

Trading Zcash via CFD

CFD trading lets you speculate on Zcash’s price without actually owning ZEC. Instead, you open positions that mirror price changes, with the option to use leverage—amplifying both potential gains and risks. CFD platforms usually earn via the spread (the difference between buy and sell prices) and charge an overnight fee for holding positions beyond a day.

Example: CFD Scenario

You deposit R18,750 and open a CFD trade on Zcash with 5x leverage, giving you R93,750 exposure to the market.

Gain scenario: If Zcash’s price increases by 8%, your gain is 8% × 5 = 40%. Your profit = R7,500 on your R18,750 stake—before counting any fees or overnight interest.

Final Advice

Before investing, carefully compare fees, trading conditions, and risk controls across platforms. Your ideal method depends on your goals: spot buying suits long-term holding, while CFDs may interest those seeking short-term opportunities with leverage. For a side-by-side overview of leading Zcash platforms in South Africa, check our dedicated comparison table just below.

Our 7 tips for buying Zcash

The latest news about Zcash

The past week saw Zcash (ZEC) record a 2.8% price growth and strong bullish sentiment in the market. This momentum is reflected across global exchanges accessible from South Africa, including Binance and Coinbase, where ZEC remains actively traded with sustained volume above $74 million in 24 hours. The technical indicators supporting this positive trend include a Relative Strength Index (RSI) fluctuating between 52.13 and 68.56, indicative of steady, upward pressure without entering overbought territory, and a MACD value of 3.46, further confirming upward momentum. This price action, combined with a robust one-year gain of 78.7%, highlights growing investor confidence, echoed by optimistic community sentiment and analyst projections estimating a potential rise toward the $62 mark (+30%).

A major catalyst this week is the deployment of Zcash’s “Project Tachyon,” which significantly strengthens transaction privacy and usability. This innovation, rolled out in the latest update, positions Zcash as a leader in privacy technology by enabling secure wallet synchronization through untrusted servers without compromising user data. For South African users, where privacy is of growing local concern due to both rising digital surveillance and increased crypto adoption, this makes Zcash a standout option for confidential transactions. The update coincides with a global trend of heightened interest in privacy coins, providing tangible technical value to ZA-based crypto enthusiasts and institutional investors seeking advanced security choices.

The newly announced integration with the Maya Protocol is expanding Zcash’s utility by supporting cross-chain, private swaps—practically boosting its DeFi relevance. Holders of ZEC in South Africa can now participate in decentralized finance activities, executing private transactions and asset swaps without needing centralized exchanges, which are often subject to stricter fiat/crypto onramps and regulatory controls in the South African Reserve Bank (SARB) environment. This cross-chain functionality attracts innovation-driven South African developers and investors aiming to leverage private, borderless, and censorship-resistant financial tools.

Zcash’s organizational foundation reported over $11.5 million in unrestricted liquid assets in Q1 2025, ensuring strong operational stability. For institutional allocators and crypto hedge funds in South Africa, the Foundation’s healthy reserves serve as a critical indicator of project longevity and its resilience against funding shocks—a factor often scrutinized in local due-diligence frameworks where operational continuity and governance reputation are essential for risk mitigation.

South African regulatory developments continue to allow Zcash legal access through major crypto exchanges, reinforcing its availability to local investors. Although the region is in the early phases of formal crypto asset regulation, there has been no indication of pending restrictions on privacy coins like Zcash. Prominent exchanges such as VALR maintain ZEC listings, while the asset’s legal status remains unchanged, contrasting with more restrictive movements witnessed in Europe. This regulatory stability, coupled with positive price momentum and technical innovation, positions Zcash as a constructive component in well-diversified crypto portfolios for South African investors focused on both privacy and technological leadership.

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.