Zcash Soars 30% After Arthur Hayes Predicts $10,000 Price Target

Privacy-focused cryptocurrency Zcash (ZEC) surged by 30% in the past 24 hours after crypto entrepreneur Arthur Hayes predicted the token could eventually hit $10,000. The dramatic price rally saw Zcash jump from $272 to $355, outperforming every other top 50 cryptocurrency by market capitalization over the same period.

Hayes, co-founder of BitMEX and a prominent figure in the crypto world, made the bold prediction in a post on X on Sunday, calling it a “vibe check.” The post quickly caught the attention of traders and sparked a wave of fear of missing out (FOMO) buying across the market.

Hayes’ Influence on Zcash Token

This isn’t the first time Hayes’s comments have coincided with a price rally. During the WebX 2025 conference in Tokyo in August, Hayes said the HYPE token from Hyperliquid could increase by 126 times over the next three years, which led to an immediate 4% rise in HYPE’s price.

Crypto trader and Binance Square contributor AB Kuai Dong speculated on X that the Zcash rally was largely driven by Hayes’s reputation. “The endorsement by a legendary Silicon Valley investor drove everyone to follow the trend and join in, triggering a full month’s FOMO market frenzy,” he wrote.

Other traders also admitted they were swept up in the excitement. A user posting under the handle Clemente, a board member at crypto treasury firm K9Strategy, said they “couldn’t keep [themselves] sidelined to this run.”

Growing Interest in Privacy Coins

Some market observers believe the rally reflects a broader resurgence of interest in privacy-focused cryptocurrencies, as global regulators increase scrutiny over digital assets and encryption technologies.

A trader using the handle JonnyJpegs commented that Zcash’s momentum might be linked to “users wanting to invest in privacy-related tokens,” as governments around the world push for tighter controls on privacy tech.

Zcash’s latest surge marks a 490% gain over the past 30 days, propelling its market capitalization above $5 billion for the first time, according to data from CoinGecko.

Launched in October 2016, Zcash is known for its use of zero-knowledge proofs, allowing transactions to be either transparent or fully shielded. This means that senders, receivers, and transaction amounts can remain private if users choose.

Its rival Monero (XMR), the largest privacy coin by market cap, also saw a 3.6% rise in the last 24 hours to $346, though it remains delisted from major exchanges like Binance and OKX due to regulatory concerns.