Last Updated: October 12, 2026
Zcash rose 4.62% over 24 hours to about $1,292 at midday UTC on October 12, the biggest daily gain among the ten largest cryptocurrencies, as outflows from Grayscale’s Zcash ETF slowed to $30.72 million last week from $93.56 million the week before. With a market value of about $21.85 billion, ZEC was trading places with Hyperliquid for ninth on CoinMarketCap, the two about $30 million apart. Zakura, a Zcash full-node project, has set January as the target for post-quantum signatures in the transparent pool, which holds about 70% of all ZEC, while shielded payments still need separate work.
Key Takeaways
- ZEC trades near $1,292, up 4.62% over 24 hours and down 2.59% over seven days, according to CoinMarketCap, with a market capitalization of about $21.85 billion and 24-hour volume of $1.07 billion, almost double the $564.82 million recorded on October 5. It remains about 24% below the roughly $1,698 peak it reached in late September.
- Grayscale’s ZCSH lost $30.72 million in the week to October 9, including $18.66 million on October 8, after $93.56 million the week before, for $124.28 million over two weeks, according to SoSoValue data. Cumulative net inflows have fallen to about $182 million from roughly $306 million near September 24, and the fund has not recorded a daily inflow since September 22.
- Zakura engineer Roman Akhtariev set January as the target for post-quantum signature opcodes that would make transparent t1 addresses quantum safe with hash-based signatures. About 11.94 million of the 16.91 million ZEC in circulation sit in the transparent pool, ZecStats data show, and the plan has no ZIP number or activation date yet.
- NU7 has been live on the public testnet since October 4 at block 4,465,026, and developers will set the mainnet activation height on October 20, with November 5 as the tentative target.
- The attacker behind the Ledger CryptoBilis drains sent 2,990.3 ETH, about $7.45 million, through Tornado Cash and swapped it into ZEC via NEAR Intents, Specter reported and Bitquery’s tracing confirmed, although no ZEC amount has been published.
Zcash Market Overview
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Price | $1,292.14 |
| 24h Change | +4.62% |
| 7d Change | -2.59% |
| Market Cap | ~$21.85 billion |
| 24h Volume | ~$1.07 billion |
| Circulating Supply | 16.91 million ZEC |
| Max Supply | 21 million ZEC |
Data sourced from CoinMarketCap, around 12:00 UTC on October 12.
Zcash News Today: Price Analysis
ZEC is recovering, but from a lower base. It traded near $1,321 on October 5 and is about 2% below that level today, after a three-day rebound that Invezz linked to easing ETF redemptions. On the four-hour chart the price sits just above the 50-period and 200-period EMAs near $1,279 and $1,274, which are close to a bearish crossover that has not been confirmed, and around $1,296, the September 9 high that now acts as the pivot. A close above $1,330, the level analyst Austin Barack flagged, would open the way toward $1,422, while FXStreet warned that failure to hold the EMAs could bring a drop toward $1,050.
The ETF is still the swing factor. ZCSH has not had a single day of inflows since September 22, and its cumulative net inflows are about $124 million below their late-September high, but last week’s outflow was about a third of the week before, October 6 saw no flow at all, and net assets were about $656 million on October 8. Trading has picked up with the price: 24-hour volume of $1.07 billion equals about 4.9% of ZEC’s market value.
The quantum plan is narrower than the headlines. Zakura’s January target covers transparent t1 addresses, the pool that holds about 70% of ZEC, using hash-based signatures, and it does not cover the shielded pools, which hold about 4.97 million ZEC, or 29.2% of supply, including 4.11 million in Ironwood, ZecStats data show. Zakura, a consensus-compatible Zcash full node led by Sean Bowe and Dev Ojha, is separate from the Electric Coin Company and the Zcash Foundation, so the plan is a target month rather than a scheduled network upgrade. Our report on what the quantum plan still doesn’t protect explains the gap, and for the Ledger drain that sent stolen funds into ZEC, see crypto news today.
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 |
| Targeted Mainnet Activation | November 5, 2026 (tentative) |
NU7 cuts Zcash’s target block time from 75 seconds to 25 seconds and triples the halving interval in blocks so the issuance schedule stays the same, adds the Network Sustainability Mechanism and disables v4 transactions. Funds still in the old Sprout pool become unspendable once NU7 activates on mainnet, so holders need to move them first. The Zcash Foundation’s Zebra 7.0.0-rc.0 release notes state that no mainnet activation height has been set yet, which is the job of the October 20 review.
Support and Resistance Levels
| Level Type | Price |
|---|---|
| Key Resistance | $1,422 |
| Immediate Resistance | $1,330 |
| Immediate Support | $1,274 |
| Key Support | $1,195 |
$1,422 is the recovery target Invezz drew from the September 18 low, $1,330 is the resistance analyst Austin Barack flagged, $1,274 is the four-hour 200-period EMA, and $1,195 is the 50-day EMA cited by crypto.news. Levels are illustrative, not guaranteed.
Why Is Zcash Trending Today?
Zcash is trending on the largest daily gain in the top 10, slowing ETF outflows and a January target for quantum-safe transparent payments. 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
This week’s ZCSH flows will show whether redemptions keep fading, and a first daily inflow since September 22 would be the clearest sign that ETF selling has run its course. September CPI on October 14 is the macro event of the week, the NU7 review 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 $1,274 to keep the rebound intact, and a break below the 50-day EMA near $1,195 would expose $1,050, the level analysts flag for a deeper pullback. A close above $1,330 would put $1,422 back 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.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the price of Zcash today?
Zcash trades near $1,292 on October 12, 2026, up 4.62% over 24 hours and down 2.59% over seven days, according to CoinMarketCap, the biggest daily gain in the top 10. Market capitalization is about $21.85 billion on $1.07 billion in daily volume, close enough to Hyperliquid that the two are trading places for ninth, and ZEC remains about 24% below its late-September peak near $1,698.
How much has the Zcash ETF lost?
Grayscale’s Zcash ETF, ZCSH, recorded $30.72 million of net outflows in the week to October 9, down from $93.56 million the week before, for a two-week total of $124.28 million, according to SoSoValue data. Cumulative net inflows have fallen to about $182 million from roughly $306 million near September 24, and the fund has not posted a daily inflow since September 22.
What is the Zcash quantum-resistant payments plan?
Zakura, a Zcash full-node project led by Sean Bowe and Dev Ojha, set January as the target for post-quantum signature opcodes that would make transparent t1 addresses quantum safe with hash-based signatures. The transparent pool holds about 11.94 million of the 16.91 million ZEC in circulation. Shielded pools are not covered and need separate work, and no ZIP or activation date has been published.
When will Zcash NU7 launch on mainnet?
NU7 has been live on the public testnet since October 4, when it activated at block 4,465,026 and cut block times to 25 seconds. Developers are due to set the mainnet activation height at an October 20 review, with November 5 as the tentative target. The upgrade also disables v4 transactions, so funds left in the old Sprout pool become unspendable after mainnet activation.
