Last Updated: October 16, 2026
Zcash jumped 13.26% over 24 hours to about $1,234 at midday UTC on October 16, the largest gain among the ten biggest cryptocurrencies on CoinGecko, after falling nearly 13% on Thursday to a low near $1,081 following hot US inflation data. Grayscale’s Zcash ETF, ZCSH, took in $3.68 million on Wednesday, its first daily inflow since September 22, then lost $14.76 million on Thursday, according to SoSoValue, leaving the fund with a net outflow of $17.93 million this week. Developers are due to set the NU7 mainnet activation height on October 20, with November 5 as the tentative target.
Key Takeaways
- ZEC trades near $1,234, up 13.26% over 24 hours and up 1.04% over seven days, according to CoinGecko, with a market capitalization of about $20.96 billion and 24-hour volume of $1.53 billion. The 24-hour range runs from about $1,081 to $1,252, and ZEC remains about 27% below the $1,697 peak it reached on September 27. About $20.09 million of ZEC futures were liquidated over the 24 hours to Thursday morning, roughly 89% of it longs, according to CoinGlass data.
- Grayscale’s ZCSH lost $1.66 million on Monday and $5.19 million on Tuesday, took in $3.68 million on Wednesday and lost $14.76 million on Thursday, according to SoSoValue, for a net outflow of $17.93 million this week after $30.72 million and $93.56 million in the previous two weeks. Cumulative net inflows are about $164 million and net assets about $674 million, or 3.21% of ZEC’s market value.
- NU7 has been live on the public testnet since October 4 at block 4,465,026. Developers will set the mainnet activation height and make the go or no-go call on October 20, a week before Zcon, with November 5 as the tentative target, according to the Zcash Community Forum timeline. The upgrade cuts target block time from 75 to 25 seconds and disables v4 transactions, so funds left in the old Sprout pool become unspendable after mainnet activation.
- September CPI rose 3.7% year over year against 3.6% expected, and producer prices rose 1.3% in September, the largest monthly gain since March 2022, the Bureau of Labor Statistics said. Bitcoin dipped below $80,000 on Thursday for the first time since mid-September, CoinDesk reported, and the Federal Reserve meets on October 27 and 28.
- ZCSH faces growing competition. Winklevoss Asset Services filed a preliminary S-1 on October 6 for a spot Zcash ETF under the ticker WINK with a 0.25% annual fee, one-tenth of ZCSH’s 2.5%, and 21Shares has listed a Zcash ETP in Europe at 2.5%. The Winklevoss filing is not yet effective, so the fund cannot sell shares.
Zcash Market Overview
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Price | $1,233.61 |
| 24h Change | +13.26% |
| 7d Change | +1.04% |
| Market Cap | ~$20.96 billion |
| 24h Volume | ~$1.53 billion |
| Circulating Supply | 16.99 million ZEC |
| Max Supply | 21 million ZEC |
Data sourced from CoinGecko, around 12:00 UTC on October 16.
Zcash News Today: Price Analysis
ZEC reached about $1,340 early Monday, its seven-day high, slid to near $1,123 on Tuesday and climbed back above $1,260 on Wednesday morning. It dropped around the 8:30 a.m. ET CPI release, which showed prices up 3.7% on the year against 3.6% expected, and fell nearly 13% over 24 hours to about $1,087 early Thursday, with a daily low near $1,074 on Kraken. By 1:10 p.m. ET on Thursday ZEC was back at $1,214, up 11.56% in four hours, according to TokenPost, and it now trades near $1,234.
ZCSH is the swing factor. SoSoValue recorded a $3.68 million inflow on Wednesday, the first since September 22, and a $14.76 million outflow on Thursday, so the week stands at a net outflow of $17.93 million after $30.72 million and $93.56 million in the previous two weeks. Daily flows of $1.66 million to $14.76 million this week compare with $1.53 billion of 24-hour trading volume in ZEC. Our report on the first weekly outflow from ZCSH has the earlier figures.
Against the market, Zcash’s swings were larger in both directions. It was the hardest-hit of the 13 coins in our Thursday market table, down 9.17% at the time, and over the 24 hours to midday UTC on Friday it is up 13.26% against 2.07% for Bitcoin and 4.87% for Ether, according to CoinGecko. The rebound has put ZEC back above $1,200, but the price is still inside the descending channel that CoinGabbar says has formed since mid-September, about 27% below the September 27 peak.
NU7 Upgrade Timeline
| Milestone | Date or Status |
|---|---|
| Code Completion Deadline | September 30, 2026 |
| Testnet Activation | October 4, 2026 (live, block 4,465,026) |
| Final Decision and Activation Height | October 20, 2026 (pending) |
| Targeted Mainnet Activation | November 5, 2026 (tentative) |
NU7 cuts Zcash’s target block time from 75 seconds to 25 seconds, adds the Network Sustainability Mechanism and disables v4 transactions. Under ZIP 235, 60% of each block’s transaction fees go into a reserve and miners keep 40%. The Zcash Foundation’s Zebra 7.0.0-rc.0 release notes state that no mainnet activation height has been set, which is the job of the October 20 checkpoint. Funds still in the old Sprout pool become unspendable once NU7 activates on mainnet, so holders need to move them first. Our reports on the NU7 timeline and the testnet launch cover the schedule.
Support and Resistance Levels
| Level Type | Price |
|---|---|
| Key Resistance | $1,340 |
| Immediate Resistance | $1,250 |
| Immediate Support | $1,100 |
| Key Support | $1,075 |
$1,340 is the seven-day high set early Monday, $1,250 is the top of the 24-hour range, $1,100 is the round number ZEC reclaimed after Thursday’s low, and $1,075 is the area of that low, which printed between about $1,074 on Kraken and $1,081 on CoinGecko. Analysts cited by Invezz and Coinpaper flag $1,050 and $1,000 below that. Levels are illustrative, not guaranteed.
Why Is Zcash Trending Today?
Zcash is trending on a 13% rebound after Thursday’s selloff, a swing in ZCSH flows from a first inflow since September 22 to a $14.76 million outflow, and the October 20 deadline to set the NU7 mainnet activation height. 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
Friday’s ZCSH flows decide whether this becomes a third straight week of net outflows: the fund is down $17.93 million through Thursday, so it would need more than that in inflows on Friday to finish the week positive. The NU7 checkpoint on October 20 should fix the mainnet activation height, and the Federal Reserve meets on October 27 and 28.
On the chart, ZEC needs to hold $1,100 to keep the rebound intact, and a break below Thursday’s low near $1,075 would expose $1,050 and $1,000. A close above $1,250 would put the week’s high near $1,340 in view.
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 Grayscale’s 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.
FAQ
What is the price of Zcash today?
Zcash trades near $1,234 on October 16, 2026, up 13.26% over 24 hours and up 1.04% over seven days, according to CoinGecko, the largest 24-hour gain among the top 10 coins. Market capitalization is about $20.96 billion on $1.53 billion in daily volume. ZEC fell as low as about $1,081 on Thursday and remains about 27% below its September 27 peak of $1,697.
Why did Zcash fall 13% on Thursday?
ZEC dropped nearly 13% to about $1,087 early Thursday after the hotter-than-expected September CPI report, which showed prices up 3.7% on the year against 3.6% expected, and a broad crypto selloff. About $20.09 million of ZEC futures were liquidated over the 24 hours, roughly 89% of them longs, according to CoinGlass. ZEC rebounded to $1,214 by 1:10 p.m. ET.
What is happening with the Zcash ETF?
Grayscale’s ZCSH lost $1.66 million on Monday and $5.19 million on Tuesday, took in $3.68 million on Wednesday, its first daily inflow since September 22, and lost $14.76 million on Thursday, according to SoSoValue. That is a net outflow of $17.93 million this week. Cumulative net inflows are about $164 million and net assets about $674 million.
When will Zcash NU7 launch on mainnet?
NU7 has been live on the public testnet since October 4 at block 4,465,026. Developers are due to set the mainnet activation height and make the go or no-go call on October 20, with November 5 as the tentative mainnet target. The upgrade cuts block times from 75 to 25 seconds and disables v4 transactions, so funds in the old Sprout pool become unspendable after activation.
