Zcash Jumps 23% as Bitcoin Holds Above $76,000
The rally came alongside a Fed rate hike and renewed attention from Paradigm co-founder Matt Huang to Zcash as a privacy alternative next to Bitcoin.
Key Takeaways
- Zcash rose 23% in 24 hours to around $1,369.
- Bitcoin climbed less than 1% to about $76,258, while other major tokens also moved higher.
- The rally came alongside a Fed rate hike and comments from Paradigm co-founder Matt Huang about Zcash.
Privacy token Zcash rose 23% over the past 24 hours, while Bitcoin and other major tokens moved higher overnight into Thursday. The move came alongside a rebound in stock futures after the Federal Reserve raised interest rates for the first time since 2023.
Bitcoin and Altcoins Move Higher
ZEC traded around $1,369 (€1,190). Bitcoin rose less than 1% to about $76,258 (€66,100). Solana gained nearly 3% and was just below $100 (€87). BNB and HYPE, the token of crypto trading platform Hyperliquid, rose more than 2%. Ether, XRP, and Dogecoin were up 1% to 2%.
The broader rally came alongside the Fed's quarter-point rate hike, which brought the target range to 3.75% to 4%. At the same time, the central bank said it expects only limited additional tightening for the rest of 2026. According to market analyst Jeff Ko of ViaBTC, the hike had mostly already been priced in.
Why Zcash Stood Out
Zcash's price jump came alongside comments from Matt Huang, co-founder of crypto investor Paradigm. He called Zcash a private complement to Bitcoin and said his firm holds ZEC. Zcash makes it possible to send money without publicly showing who paid, who received it, or how much was sent.
That privacy story has been part of the network debate for a while. Holders recently backed proposals to make payments faster, while planned cuts to new coin issuance will remain in place. That lines up with a feature Zcash shares with Bitcoin.
The broader market rotation toward privacy tokens is not new either: privacy coins were previously the only crypto sector to move above Bitcoin's October 2025 peak.
Why This Matters for European Readers
For European crypto readers, this is especially relevant because it shows how quickly privacy tokens can move with broader macro signals. The Fed remains an important factor for the crypto market, especially when investors are trying to gauge how much room is left for more rate hikes. The combination of institutional attention and network updates can also boost market interest in Zcash.
