ZEC Rally Gains Steam After Silbert Backs Privacy Coins As 100x Opportunity

• Zcash surges 5.74% to $282.35 as DCG CEO Barry Silbert calls privacy coins “the next asymmetric bet” with 100x-1000x potential.
• Open interest explodes 28.60% to $408.31M while volume jumps 90.93%, signaling renewed trader interest after month-long correction.
• Price attempts to reclaim $281.68 support after dropping 38% over the past month from 2025 highs above $700.

Zcash price today trades near $282.35, up 5.74% in the past 24 hours after Digital Currency Group CEO Barry Silbert predicted privacy coins could deliver 100x to 1,000x returns. The rally comes as open interest surged 28.60% to $408.31 million, signaling renewed conviction after ZEC dropped 38% over the past month.

Silbert Predicts 100x-1000x Returns For Privacy Coins

Speaking at Bitcoin Investor Week in New York, Silbert called privacy coins “the next asymmetric bet,” arguing that Bitcoin “lost the plot” on privacy as blockchain analytics firms like Chainalysis made transactions traceable. He suggested ZEC could serve as a hedge against quantum computing threats.

If 5-10% of Bitcoin’s $1.3 trillion market cap rotated into privacy coins, that would imply $65-130 billion in new capital, dwarfing Zcash’s current $3.9 billion market cap. However, Silbert’s DCG owns Grayscale, which runs the Grayscale Zcash Trust and is working to convert it into a spot ETF. Any price appreciation directly benefits DCG’s portfolio and Grayscale’s fee revenue, a conflict Silbert did not address during his remarks.

According to Coinglass, Zcash’s open interest jumped 28.60% to $408.31 million, the largest single-day increase in weeks. Volume surged 90.93% to $1.37 billion, confirming that participation returned following Silbert’s prediction.

Long/short ratios show mixed positioning. Binance accounts favor longs at 1.05, while OKX shows only 0.88, indicating slight short bias. Top trader positioning on Binance shows $288.97 million in longs versus $1.56 million in shorts on 12-hour timeframes, suggesting large accounts are positioned for upside.

The surge in open interest alongside rising price typically indicates new money entering the market rather than short covering. When both OI and price climb together, it confirms conviction behind the move.

Price Attempts To Reclaim Key Support Levels

On the daily chart, Zcash is attempting to reclaim the 20-day EMA at $281.68 after breaking below it during the recent correction. Supertrend flipped bullish at $328.62, though price remains below that level. The 50-day EMA sits at $338.55, with the 100-day at $351.58 and the 200-day at $297.80.

The chart shows:

• Price bouncing from $207 low on February 5
• Attempting to reclaim 20-day EMA at $281.68
• Long-term descending trendline from November highs still intact
• $297.80 resistance at 200-day EMA

Zcash was the top-performing large-cap cryptocurrency of 2025, surging over 1,200% from September lows before reversing. The token hit a four-month low below $220 on February 5, marking a 65% correction from the $700+ peak. The current bounce represents a 28% recovery from those lows.

A close above $281.68 would flip the 20-day EMA and confirm the first sign of trend reversal. Breaking above $297.80 would reclaim the 200-day EMA and place the $328.62 Supertrend level back in range. Until that happens, the structure remains corrective despite the sharp rally.

Hourly Chart Shows Strong Momentum Reversal

The 1-hour chart reveals the strength of the recent move. Price broke out of the $220-$260 consolidation range that had held since February 5. Parabolic SAR sits at $272.75, now acting as support after flipping bullish. RSI reached 74.18, approaching overbought territory but confirming strong momentum.

The structure shows:

• Clean breakout above $260 resistance
• Higher highs and higher lows forming
• SAR flipping bullish at $272.75

Buyers reclaimed the $280 psychological level and are attempting to push toward $290. The rally appears impulsive rather than corrective, with minimal pullbacks since breaking out. A sustained move above $290 would place $300 and eventually the 200-day EMA at $297.80 within reach.

A rejection at current levels and a breakdown below $272.75 would flip the SAR bearish and signal the rally was short-lived. Until ZEC closes above $300, the move remains a recovery inside a broader correction.

Outlook: Will Zcash Go Up?

The next move depends on whether ZEC can hold $272.75 and break above the 200-day EMA at $297.80.

• Bullish case: A close above $297.80 with sustained volume would flip the 200-day EMA and confirm trend reversal. That would place $328.62 and the Supertrend resistance back in range, opening the path toward $350.
• Bearish case: Rejection at $290-$300 and a breakdown below $272.75 would flip the SAR bearish and send price back to test $260 support. Losing $260 exposes $240 and eventually the $220 lows.

If Zcash breaks above $297.80 and holds, the trend shifts. Losing $272.75 turns the rally into a failed breakout.