Arthur Hayes, the former CEO of BitMEX, says Zcash could one day hit a four-digit price — even reaching $1,000. He shared this view in December, pointing to growing interest in privacy, institutional buying, and tight supply as key reasons behind his outlook.
Since Hayes made his call, Zcash has already jumped about 40%. Over the past month alone, it’s up nearly 14%, and over the past year, it has surged more than 700%. That kind of move has pushed Zcash back into the spotlight.
Hayes described $1,000 as an early target, not the final stop. He also warned that price pullbacks are still possible, even back toward the low hundreds, before any major breakout happens.
One major factor behind the momentum is privacy. Around 30% of all Zcash in circulation is now held in shielded addresses. That shows more people are actually using Zcash for private transactions, not just holding it for speculation.
Institutional interest is also picking up. Grayscale recently launched a Zcash investment fund, and other firms have reported buying and holding large amounts of ZEC. Some have even hinted at plans to control a meaningful share of the total supply.
Another big driver is Zcash’s halving in late 2025. This event reduced new coin supply, making ZEC harder to come by. Hayes believes this supply squeeze could play a big role in pushing prices higher as demand grows.
Traders are now watching price levels in the mid-hundreds. If Zcash can break and hold above those levels, analysts say it could open the door to a run toward the high hundreds — and possibly $1,000 sometime in 2026.
Still, there are risks. Zcash remains sensitive to leverage and sudden liquidations, which can cause sharp price swings. Regulatory pressure on privacy coins is another major concern. Any strong crackdown could quickly push prices back down.
Liquidity is also limited on major regulated exchanges. While decentralized platforms may handle more trading in the future, thinner order books could mean more volatility along the way.
For now, Zcash’s rally appears to be driven by a mix of privacy demand, reduced supply, institutional buying, and fast-moving market dynamics. Whether it truly reaches four digits will depend on how all these forces play out over time.
