Monero price surge highlights stability amid Zcash developer turmoil
Monero has reclaimed its position as the leading privacy-focused cryptocurrency by market capitalization, as internal upheaval at Zcash undermines investor confidence. The shift follows months of changing sentiment within the privacy coin sector, where governance stability and development continuity are becoming decisive factors for market leadership.
Monero (XMR) has climbed back toward its all-time high near $490, trading around $460 after a steady multi-week rally. This rebound marks a sharp reversal from mid-to-late 2025, when Monero lagged as attention shifted to rival privacy assets. Despite earlier concerns over mining centralization and a significant block reorganization event, the network demonstrated resilience, reinforcing confidence in its long-term robustness.
Zcash (ZEC) faced renewed pressure after the entire core development team resigned following a governance dispute with its nonprofit oversight board. The sudden departure raised serious questions about development coordination and roadmap execution, triggering a sharp sell-off that pushed ZEC down nearly 15% in a single session before a modest rebound.
Previously, Zcash benefited from narratives around enhanced surveillance resistance and shielded transaction adoption, fueling its late-2025 rally. However, the governance crisis has reversed that momentum, prompting capital to rotate back into Monero, widely viewed as the most battle-tested privacy blockchain.
As privacy gains prominence as a competitive moat in crypto markets, projects with proven decentralization and operational continuity appear best positioned to lead the sector into 2026.
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