Zcash\u2019s ZEC is consolidating near $235\u2013$240 after a sharp February selloff, with a $25m ZODL raise, Foundry\u2019s new mining pool and rising shielded use turning it into a 2026 privacy\u2011trade leader.<\/p>\n
\n Summary<\/span>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Zcash\u2019s (ZEC<\/a>) native token ZEC, one of the longest\u2011running privacy coins in the market, is holding near the $235\u2013$240 range this week after a volatile first quarter that saw it sell off sharply in February before rebounding on strong March news flow. <\/p>\n Data from BestCryptoChecker shows ZEC\u2019s price dropped about 20.93% in February 2026, falling from $302.80 to close the month at $239.41, underscoring how aggressively the asset had been de\u2011risked before the latest move higher. The token, which uses zero\u2011knowledge proofs to enable shielded transactions and is categorized as a privacy and payments coin, has now re\u2011emerged as a focal point in the renewed 2026 privacy narrative.<\/p>\n Momentum turned decisively in March. On March 16, ZEC posted a 23.26% daily gain to trade around $285.35, with market capitalization at roughly $4.74 billion and 24\u2011hour trading volume reaching $583 million, according to MEXC\u2019s tracking. CoinMarketCap\u2019s Zcash<\/a> dashboard later highlighted that ZEC broke above $235 on March 25 on \u201cstrong volumes\u201d following a major ecosystem funding announcement, extending a weekly gain above 10% on elevated spot turnover. While some shorter\u2011term RSI screens still flag periods of selling pressure on lower timeframes, 14\u2011day readings near the low\u2011to\u2011mid\u201150s indicate neither extreme euphoria nor deep exhaustion, leaving room for trend continuation if demand persists.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Behind the tape, a series of structural developments has reframed the Zcash story for 2026. The Zcash Open Development Lab (ZODL), a new core development entity formed after the breakup of the Electric Coin Company\u2019s engineering team, closed a funding round of more than $25 million on March 25 from backers including Paradigm, a16z crypto and Coinbase Ventures, with capital earmarked for expanding the Zodl wallet and other privacy\u2011first tools. CoinMarketCap also reports that Foundry Digital, the largest Bitcoin mining pool, plans to launch an institutional\u2011grade ZEC mining pool in April 2026, marking its first move beyond Bitcoin and signaling growing confidence in Zcash\u2019s long\u2011term viability. Additional roadmap items, including the CashZ wallet launch, consensus protocol upgrades and continued ZODL\u2011led ecosystem expansion, underline an effort to modernize infrastructure and make shielded transactions more accessible, potentially deepening ZEC\u2019s role as a base layer for private finance.<\/p>\n Beyond Zcash itself, privacy coins as a group have begun to stage a comeback in 2026, with MEXC noting that ZEC and peers have delivered double\u2011digit daily moves as regulatory clarity around \u201cdigital commodities\u201d and renewed interest in zero\u2011knowledge technology shift attention back to privacy\u2011preserving chains. That broader context matters: while some traders still see scope for a deeper correction toward the $100\u2013$150 range based on ZEC\u2019s longer\u2011term breakdown from much higher levels, recent funding, infrastructure and usage data have opened the door to a sustained repricing if the privacy trade continues to attract both retail and institutional capital.<\/p>\n <\/p><\/div>\n\n
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ZEC extends rebound as $25m ZODL raise and Foundry mining pool revive Zcash story<\/h2>\n