Why is Zcash Pumping Today: Here is What Happened

ZEC hit a three-year high at $98 after ThorSwap enabled cross-chain swaps with BTC, ETH, SOL, and more.
Regulatory delistings in 2025 pressured ZEC, but decentralized access has reignited demand.
Investor Naval Ravikant called Zcash “insurance against Bitcoin,” boosting bullish sentiment.

Zcash surged to over $98 on Wednesday morning, marking its highest level in more than three years, before stabilizing around $91. The rally came after ThorSwap announced cross-chain swap support for ZEC, allowing users to exchange it seamlessly with Bitcoin, Ethereum, Solana, and other top altcoins.

JUST IN: Zcash $ZEC just hit a 1,240 day high, up 140% this week, and is currently the biggest gainer among the top 300 cryptos by market cap pic.twitter.com/29G5sPuJZj
— BlockNews (@blocknewsdotcom) October 1, 2025

This integration is significant because it provides decentralized, non-custodial liquidity access for Zcash. Historically, privacy coins have faced hurdles on centralized exchanges due to tightening global regulations, and this move offers ZEC traders a crucial alternative pathway to liquidity.

Regulatory Headwinds Still Weigh on ZEC

Despite the bullish momentum, Zcash has endured a rough 2025 on the compliance front. Binance FZE and BitOasis both delisted ZEC in the United Arab Emirates earlier this year to comply with VARA guidelines. OKX had already removed Zcash back in 2024, and Binance’s global platform briefly considered delisting it before reversing course in July by dropping its monitoring tag.

These restrictions highlighted how regulatory pressure continues to threaten privacy-focused coins. Yet, ZEC’s latest price surge shows strong market demand whenever new decentralized access points appear.

Market Sentiment and Investor Perspectives

Retail sentiment around ZEC jumped from “bullish” to “extremely bullish” on Stocktwits as chatter volumes spiked. Over the past week, Zcash has gained more than 75% and is up a staggering 243% in the last 12 months.

Wondering why Zcash is pumping and why influential voices like @naval himself are talking about it?

Privacy and freedom have always been core missions of crypto. This isn’t the first time the narrative has resurfaced, but why could this time be different?

In my view, past… pic.twitter.com/YqtPEMNAyJ
— Simon Dedic (@sjdedic) October 1, 2025

Investor Naval Ravikant weighed in on the rally, describing ZEC as “insurance against Bitcoin, if Bitcoin is insurance against fiat.” His comments reflect a growing narrative among crypto investors who see Zcash as a hedge within the broader digital asset ecosystem.

Final Thoughts

Zcash’s breakout shows that privacy coins can still find strong support when new infrastructure opens access to liquidity. With ThorSwap’s cross-chain integration in place, ZEC now has a fresh narrative to attract traders sidelined by regulatory delistings. The big question is whether sustained adoption through decentralized rails can offset ongoing centralized exchange pressures.

Disclaimer: BlockNews provides independent reporting on crypto, blockchain, and digital finance. All content is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial advice. Readers should do their own research before making investment decisions. Some articles may use AI tools to assist in drafting, but every piece is reviewed and edited by our editorial team of experienced crypto writers and analysts before publication.