The Zcash price is holding just above $1,200 while most of the crypto market slips, and that is why ZEC is one of the most searched coins on CoinGecko this weekend. At 03:35 Riyadh time on 26 October, ZEC traded at about $1,214, roughly 7% higher than a week earlier, while Bitcoin and Ether were both down on the day. Two things explain the attention: Grayscale's spot Zcash ETF had its best week of inflows since mid-September, and the network is days away from NU7, an upgrade that cuts block times from 75 seconds to 25. If you followed our report on Bitcoin falling below $80,000, this is the other side of the same week.
| Coin | Price (USD) | 24h change |
|---|---|---|
| Zcash (ZEC) | $1,213.97 | +0.4% |
| Bitcoin (BTC) | $80,227 | -0.7% |
| Ethereum (ETH) | $2,333.50 | -1.0% |
| Monero (XMR) | $593.73 | -3.5% |
Key points
- ZEC was up about 7.4% over seven days but still down about 22% over 30 days, according to CoinGecko.
- Grayscale's Zcash ETF (ZCSH) took in a net $41.1 million in the week to 23 October, after a $10.4 million outflow on 19 October.
- NU7 activates at block 3,543,405, expected around 5 November, and cuts the target block time from 75 seconds to 25 seconds.
Key facts at a glance
| Item | Figure | Source |
|---|---|---|
| ZEC price (03:35 AST, 26 Oct) | $1,213.97 | CoinGecko |
| 24-hour range | $1,175.91 to $1,236.73 | CoinGecko |
| Market value and rank | About $20.6 billion, number 10 | CoinGecko |
| Circulating supply / cap | About 17.0 million / 21 million ZEC | CoinGecko, Zcash Foundation |
| ZCSH net flow, week to 23 Oct | +$41.1 million | Farside Investors |
| ZEC held by ZCSH (23 Oct) | 560,771 ZEC | Crypto Briefing, TokenPost |
| NU7 activation | Block 3,543,405, around 5 Nov | Zcash Foundation, CoinDesk |
| Block time after NU7 | 25 seconds (from 75) | ZIP 259 |
Why the Zcash price is trending this weekend
Zcash appeared in CoinGecko's list of the most searched coins on Monday morning, next to Bitcoin, Solana and Pepe, and X built a news story around ZEC's move to roughly $1,216 on 25 October. On X, posts mentioning Zcash ran at about 5,800 a day over the weekend, according to X's own post counter. That is not a viral explosion, but it is steady interest in a week when attention on most other coins was about losses.
The contrast is what makes the story. Bitcoin is still hovering near the $80,000 level it broke below on 24 October, Ether is down about 1% on the day, and Monero, the other well-known privacy coin, fell about 3.5% in the same 24 hours. ZEC was the exception. It is worth keeping the bigger picture in view, though: a 22% fall over 30 days means the recent bounce has recovered only part of an October slide. For context on the wider market mood, our 24 October market update covers the ETF outflows that hit Bitcoin.
What moved ZEC: ETF money and the NU7 upgrade
- FlowsGrayscale's ZCSH, the first US spot Zcash fund, which started trading on NYSE Arca on 25 August, recorded four straight days of inflows from 20 to 23 October.
- Network upgradeDevelopers fixed the NU7 activation block on 21 October, and the main node software was released with that height the next day.
- Relative strengthZEC rose while Bitcoin, Ether and Monero fell, which tends to draw traders who screen for outperformers.
Inside the ETF numbers
According to the daily table from Farside Investors, ZCSH lost $10.4 million on 19 October, then gained $1.6 million, $15.2 million, $14.2 million and $20.5 million over the next four sessions. Added together, that is a net $41.1 million for the week, the fund's best week since mid-September. Crypto Briefing reported that the fund held about 560,771 ZEC as of 23 October. Using CoinGecko's circulating supply of about 17.0 million ZEC, our own calculation puts that at roughly 3.3% of all coins in circulation.
Two caveats matter. First, the week only claws back part of the damage: Crypto Briefing counted about $143 million of net outflows in the three weeks before. Second, TokenPost pointed out that a calculation based on changes in shares outstanding gives different numbers for the first days of the week, so different flow trackers do not fully agree. Fund flows are reported a day late and can be revised, so treat them as a guide to direction rather than a precise count.
What NU7 actually changes
NU7 is a scheduled network upgrade, and the official specification, ZIP 259, lists the changes. The headline is speed: the target gap between blocks drops from 75 seconds to 25 seconds. CoinDesk worked out that an exchange waiting for three confirmations before crediting a ZEC deposit could cut that wait from nearly four minutes to about a minute and a quarter.
The upgrade also changes how fees work. Under ZIP 235, 60% of each block's transaction fees are taken out of circulation and placed in a reserve, while miners keep the other 40%. The Zcash Foundation says that reserve will later be paid out gradually on top of normal block rewards, and that the four-year halving schedule and the 21 million ZEC cap are unchanged. Daily issuance stays the same because block rewards are divided by three to match the faster blocks.
There is one practical warning for long-time holders. Sprout, Zcash's original shielded pool, is being closed: once NU7 activates, version 4 transactions become invalid, and any coins still in Sprout become unspendable. Anyone holding ZEC in a very old wallet should check where their coins sit before early November. Node operators also have to upgrade; the Zcash Foundation's Zebra 7.0.0 release notes say nodes that do not upgrade will follow a different chain.
Our analysis: what this rally does and does not tell you
A coin rising while the market falls is real information, but it is narrow. What we can say from the data is that ZEC had a better week than the largest coins, that a regulated US fund saw fresh money coming in, and that a dated technical upgrade is now locked in. What we cannot say is that one caused the other. ETF inflows can follow price as easily as they lead it, and an upgrade date that has been public since 21 October is already known to anyone trading the coin.
The ETF also concentrates risk. When a single fund holds over 3% of supply, steady inflows add buying, but a return to outflows like those seen earlier in October would add selling. The upgrade itself is mainly about usability: faster confirmations make ZEC more practical for payments and exchange deposits. It does not change the supply cap, and upgrades of this kind can bring short-term technical issues; the Zebra release notes list seven security fixes made along the way. None of this is a forecast, and the 30-day decline shows how quickly sentiment around a single coin can turn.
What to watch next
The next dated events are clear. Daily ZCSH flow figures are published each US trading day, a day late. NU7 is set to activate at block 3,543,405, which the Zcash Foundation expects around 5 November and node software Zakura puts at about 00:50 UTC on 6 November (03:50 Riyadh time). Exchanges usually announce whether they will pause ZEC deposits and withdrawals around an upgrade, so check your platform's notices if you hold ZEC there. If you are new to how taxes on crypto gains are changing in Asia, our explainer on the South Korea crypto tax delay is a useful companion read.
Not financial advice. This article is for general information only. Crypto assets are highly volatile and can lose all their value. WorldScope does not recommend buying or selling any asset. Check the rules that apply in your country and consult a licensed adviser before investing.
How we checked this
Prices, ranges, market value, supply and the 7-day and 30-day changes come from CoinGecko's public data, pulled at 03:35 Riyadh time on 26 October 2026. ETF flows come from Farside Investors' ZCSH table, cross-checked against Crypto Briefing's weekly report; we also note TokenPost's report that trackers disagree on some days. Upgrade details come from the official ZIP 259 specification and the Zcash Foundation's Zebra 7.0.0 release notes, with CoinDesk's 21 October report for the activation decision. The 3.3% share of supply is our own calculation from those figures. X post counts were taken with X's post-count tool on 26 October.
FAQ
What is the Zcash price today?
About $1,214 at 03:35 Riyadh time on 26 October 2026, according to CoinGecko. Check a live source, because prices change by the minute.
When is the Zcash NU7 upgrade?
At block 3,543,405, expected around 5 November 2026, or early on 6 November in Riyadh time.
Does NU7 increase the supply of ZEC?
No. The Zcash Foundation says the 21 million cap and the halving schedule are unchanged; NU7 changes block timing and how part of the fees is recycled.
Do I need to do anything with my ZEC?
Most holders on exchanges or modern wallets do not. Coins still in the old Sprout pool must be moved before activation or they become unspendable.
What is ZCSH?
Grayscale's spot Zcash fund, listed on NYSE Arca since 25 August 2026, with a 2.5% annual fee.
Sources
- CoinGecko: Zcash (ZEC) market data, 26 Oct 2026
- Farside Investors: Zcash ETF flow table
- Crypto Briefing: Grayscale's Zcash ETF pulls in $41.1 million (25 Oct 2026)
- TokenPost: Zcash ETF flow tables diverge on $41.1 million weekly total
- CoinDesk: Zcash developers pick November block for upgrade (21 Oct 2026)
- ZIP 259: Deployment of the NU7 Network Upgrade
- Zcash Foundation: Zebra 7.0.0 release (22 Oct 2026)
- Zakura: Release 1.7.0 (22 Oct 2026)
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