Last Updated: October 5, 2026
Zcash traded near $1,321 on October 5, down 0.81% over 24 hours and 14.78% over seven days, as the NU7 network upgrade went live on the public testnet a day earlier than expected. It cut the testnet’s target block time from 75 seconds to 25 seconds at block 4,465,026. Grayscale’s Zcash ETF, ZCSH, recorded $93.56 million of net outflows last week, its first negative week since late August, according to SoSoValue, and ZEC remains about 22% below the roughly $1,698 peak it reached in September.
Key Takeaways
- ZEC trades near $1,321, down 0.81% over 24 hours and 14.78% over seven days, with a market capitalization of about $22.32 billion and 24-hour volume of $564.82 million. Over the 24 hours to the early hours of October 5 it ranged from about $1,284 to $1,345, CoinGecko data showed.
- NU7 reached its testnet activation height of 4,465,026 on October 5, and Zcash confirmed it was live, crypto.news reported. The Zcash Foundation’s October 2 Zebra release had set the height and expected activation around October 6. ZEC issuance, the halving schedule and the 21 million supply cap are unchanged.
- ZCSH lost $26.93 million on Friday and $93.56 million over the week, SoSoValue data show. Cumulative net inflows stand at $212.56 million, down from about $306 million on September 24, and net assets were $751 million after Friday.
- Chainalysis traced the Bitget haul across four chains and put 7.6% on Zcash, roughly $29 million. The hacker had moved 2,746 ZEC into the Ironwood shielded pool on September 30, where senders, recipients and amounts are hidden.
- A Zcash-focused advocacy group, PGPZ, registered to lobby the US government with an effective date of October 1, backed by a $750,000 first-year grant, crypto.news reported. Its filing lists the CLARITY Act and two crypto tax bills.
Zcash Market Overview
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Price | $1,320.96 |
| 24h Change | -0.81% |
| 7d Change | -14.78% |
| Market Cap | ~$22.32 billion |
| 24h Volume | ~$564.82 million |
| Circulating Supply | 16.9 million ZEC |
| Max Supply | 21 million ZEC |
Data sourced from CoinMarketCap, early morning of October 5 (UTC).
Zcash News Today: Price Analysis
ZEC has stopped falling for now but has not recovered. It is 1.4% below Sunday evening’s $1,340 and 4.6% below Friday morning’s $1,385, while Bitcoin is only 0.5% lower than on Friday, so Zcash is still the weakest of the 14 largest coins on the week. Over the past day it held a range of roughly $1,285 to $1,345, which keeps it above the $1,233 level Decrypt flagged as the trigger for a deeper retracement and below the $1,411 level it must reclaim to restore momentum.
The ETF is the main pressure. ZCSH took in about $306 million of net inflows by September 24, though about $100 million of those inflows was Grayscale’s parent group DCG exchanging 85,705 ZEC for shares, Bitcoin.com reported. The fund then lost money on four of the five sessions last week, and the $93.56 million weekly outflow was its first negative week since late August. The 3-for-1 split on September 30 changed the share count, not the value of any holding.
NU7 is the next dated catalyst, and its testnet is already running. Testnet blocks now arrive about every 25 seconds, giving exchanges and wallets a live check before mainnet, and NU7 limits shielded actions per block so that light wallets can keep up with the faster cadence, Coindoo reported. The ZEC price has not reacted so far, and the October 20 review will decide the mainnet activation height. For the background on the hack that put part of the stolen funds into Zcash, see our report on the Bitget breach and the latest in crypto news today.
NU7 Upgrade Timeline
| Milestone | Date or Status |
|---|---|
| Code Completion Deadline | September 30, 2026 |
| Testnet Activation | October 5, 2026 (live, block 4,465,026) |
| Final Decision and Activation Height | October 20, 2026 |
| Targeted Mainnet Activation | November 5, 2026 |
NU7 cuts Zcash’s target block spacing from 75 seconds to 25 seconds, disables v4 transactions, keeps the halving schedule and adds the Network Sustainability Mechanism, according to the timeline posted on the Zcash Community Forum on September 17. Funds left in the old Sprout pool become unspendable after NU7 activates on mainnet, so holders of such funds need to move them first, crypto.news reported. November 5 remains a target until the October 20 review.
Support and Resistance Levels
| Level Type | Price |
|---|---|
| Key Resistance | $1,411 |
| Immediate Resistance | $1,345 |
| Immediate Support | $1,284 |
| Key Support | $1,233 |
$1,411 is the level Decrypt said ZEC must reclaim, $1,345 and $1,284 are the high and low of the past 24 hours in CoinGecko data, and $1,233 is the level whose daily close would put deeper retracements in play. Levels are illustrative, not guaranteed.
Why Is Zcash Trending Today?
Zcash is trending on the early NU7 testnet activation, a $93.56 million weekly ETF outflow and a 14.78% weekly decline. For the full market picture, see crypto market today, and for today’s other headlines, check crypto news today.
What This Means for the Days Ahead
Monday brings the first ETF flow data of the new week, which will show whether ZCSH’s outflows continue after the weekly loss. The testnet will run until the October 20 decision on the mainnet activation height, so its stability matters more for the timetable than the price does. September CPI on October 14 and the Federal Reserve’s October 27 to 28 meeting are the macro events.
On the chart, ZEC needs to hold $1,284 to avoid a slide toward $1,233. A reclaim of $1,411 would put the September peak near $1,698 back in view, which would take a recovery of about 29% from here.
See how Zcash compares with other assets on Bitcoin News Today, Ethereum News Today, XRP News Today, and Hedera (HBAR) News Today.
Compare Crypto Prices Today
| Asset | Price Page |
|---|---|
| Bitcoin | Bitcoin Price |
| Ethereum | Ethereum Price |
| XRP | XRP Price |
| Solana | Solana Price |
| BNB | BNB Price |
| TRON | TRON Price |
Where to Buy Zcash
Zcash can be bought on major exchanges including Binance, Coinbase, Kraken, KuCoin, Gate.io, OKX, and Bybit. US investors can also get exposure through The Zcash ETF (ZCSH) in a brokerage account. For a look at other platforms accepting crypto, see our crypto casinos guide.
This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial advice. Cryptocurrency markets are volatile; always do your own research before investing.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the price of Zcash today?
Zcash trades near $1,321 on October 5, 2026, down 0.81% over 24 hours and 14.78% over seven days, according to CoinMarketCap. Market capitalization is about $22.32 billion on roughly $564.82 million in daily volume. ZEC is about 22% below its September peak near $1,698 and has held a range of roughly $1,285 to $1,345 over the past day.
Has the Zcash NU7 upgrade launched?
NU7 is live on the public testnet, where it activated on October 5 at block 4,465,026, a day earlier than expected, with blocks arriving about every 25 seconds. Mainnet is not live. Developers will decide the mainnet activation height on October 20 and target November 5. The upgrade also disables v4 transactions and adds the Network Sustainability Mechanism while keeping the halving schedule.
Why is the Zcash ETF losing money?
Grayscale’s Zcash ETF, ZCSH, lost $93.56 million last week, including $26.93 million on Friday, its first negative week since late August. ZEC had fallen from its September peak, and the fund completed a 3-for-1 split on September 30. Cumulative net inflows are $212.56 million, down from about $306 million on September 24, and net assets were $751 million after Friday.
How much of the Bitget hack went to Zcash?
Chainalysis said $387 million left Bitget in 23 transfers within three hours and landed on four chains, with Zcash receiving 7.6%, or roughly $29 million. On September 30, ZachXBT and CoinDesk reported that 2,746 ZEC moved into the Ironwood shielded pool, where the chain shows no sender, recipient or amount. Chainalysis attributed the attack to North Korea-linked actors.
