Zcash upside hinges on repricing financial privacy in an AI-driven world, Grayscale says

Tech Share Share this article Copy link X icon X (Twitter) LinkedIn Facebook Email Zcash upside hinges on repricing financial privacy in an AI-driven world, Grayscale says The crypto asset manager argued rising surveillance and AI could elevate demand for private digital money, positioning Zcash as a mispriced bet on confidentiality. By Will Canny , AI Boost | Edited by Sheldon Reback Mar 30, 2026, 2:18 p.m. Make preferred on Zcash’s upside hinges on a repricing of financial privacy in an AI-driven world, Grayscale says. (Shutterstock) What to know : Grayscale said AI and onchain transparency could push privacy from niche to core financial feature. Zcash adoption metrics show real usage, even though its market share remains very small. The report framed ZEC as a high-risk asset with significant upside if privacy demand reprices. Zcash (ZEC) is a wager that the rise of AI surveillance will make financial privacy more valuable, and the crypto market is underpricing that possibility, according to asset manager Grayscale. "Zcash is nearly 10 years old but may be entering a new chapter. Use of its shielding technology is increasing, and new capital is entering the ecosystem to support wallet development and Zcash mining," analyst Michael Zhao wrote in a Friday report. ZEC is a privacy-focused cryptocurrency that uses zero-knowledge proofs to hide transaction details, allowing users to shield the sender, receiver and amount, while still verifying transfers on a public blockchain. Designed as a more confidential alternative to bitcoin BTC $ 67,546.09 , the largest cryptocurrency, it aims to function as a closer approximation to digital cash in an otherwise transparent crypto ecosystem. The token has seen multiple boom-and-bust cycles, most notably during crypto bull markets when its privacy narrative gained traction. In late 2025, ZEC surged to nearly $700, sharply outperforming much of the market as investors switched into smaller-cap assets with differentiated use cases. The move proved short-lived. Prices retraced quickly, falling more than 60% in the following months as momentum faded and larger assets like bitcoin regained favor. The volatility underscores a recurring pattern for Zcash: sharp upside during narrative-driven rallies, followed by steep drawdowns when that narrative loses urgency. ZEC makes up about 0.3% of the $1.6 trillion crypto “currencies” segment, according to Grayscale, a share it said reflects expectations that privacy stays marginal. If that view changes, even slightly, the upside could be significant. Grayscale pointed to rising use of Zcash’s shielded transactions, now the majority of activity, as evidence that demand for privacy already exists onchain. But the firm said the market still treats privacy as an afterthought rather than a core monetary feature. This is part of a broader structural shift. Just as digitization and the internet reshaped financial privacy debates in prior decades, Zhao argued AI and blockchain transparency could trigger a third wave, one where confidential transactions become more valuable. In that scenario, Zcash’s design positions it as a direct analogue to cash, a property the analyst said is increasingly scarce in digital finance. Still, there are risks, the report cautioned. Regulatory treatment remains uncertain despite Zcash’s selective disclosure tools. Execution risk persists given the network’s reliance on complex upgrades, and long-term concerns like quantum computing that apply across crypto, including ZEC, the report added. ZEC was trading 5% higher over 24 hours, around $224.80, at publication time. Read more: AI rout hits software stocks, but Grayscale says blockchains stand to benefit AI Disclaimer: Parts of this article were generated with the assistance from AI tools and reviewed by our editorial team to ensure accuracy and adherence to our standards . For more information, see CoinDesk's full AI Policy . More For You The Definitive Stablecoin Landscape Series: North America By CoinDesk Research Mar 26, 2026 Commissioned by Ripple As stablecoins evolve into core financial infrastructure, North America leads. This report maps the regulation, market shifts, and players driving adoption. Why it matters : Stablecoins are entering their third phase of evolution - the institutionalization era - becoming increasingly embedded into core financial infrastructure. As institutions prioritize transparency and compliance, regulated issuers like USDC, RLUSD, and PYUSD are steadily gaining share with RLUSD surpassing $1B in market cap within its first year. North America, leading in regulatory frameworks and institutional distribution, is at the center of it all. View Full Report More For You Charles Hoskinson’s $200 million bet: Midnight goes live to tackle crypto’s biggest flaws By Olivier Acuna | Edited by Sheldon Reback 25 minutes ago The Cardano founder argues crypto is too public, complex and risky for mainstream use and is backing a privacy-focused network to change that. What to know : Midnight, a privacy-focused blockchain within the Cardano ecosystem went live, aiming to make blockchain use simpler and safer by hiding sensitive data. Backed by $200 million from Cardano founder Charles Hoskinson, it is designed to address what he sees as crypto’s core design flaws. 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