Zcash (ZEC), once a forgotten privacy coin, has made a remarkable comeback. In October’s fearful market conditions, it has become one of the most notable assets investors are watching closely.
The altcoin also achieved a major milestone: its Shielded Pool has surpassed 4.5 million ZEC. What does this mean, and how might it affect the price?
Evidence Shows Interest in Zcash Goes Beyond Price
Zcash (ZEC) recently hit a significant milestone — its shielded pool exceeded 4.5 million ZEC, according to CoinMetrics data.
Zcash shielded pool. Source: Coinmetric
Within just three weeks, around 1 million ZEC were moved into shielded pools, while ZEC’s price surged fivefold. However, instead of selling to take profits, users continued transferring their coins into shielded wallets.
Shielding in Zcash is the process of transferring funds from transparent addresses (t-addresses) to shielded addresses (z-addresses or u-addresses). This hides transaction details such as sender, receiver, and amount.
The technology relies on zk-SNARKs to ensure privacy without compromising the blockchain’s overall transparency. The growing number of users choosing to shield their coins reflects strong confidence in both the project and its privacy technology.
“Signal: watch the Zcash shielded pool relative to ZEC price. Those who shield their ZEC don’t sell.” — Josh Swihart, CEO of Electric Coin Co. said.
What Does This Mean for ZEC’s Price?
The expansion of the shielded pool suggests a decline in circulating supply. Coins that are shielded are typically held for longer periods instead of being traded frequently.
According to Coingecko data, ZEC’s total circulating supply is 16.34 million, with 4.5 million currently in shielded pools. That’s roughly 27.5% of the circulating supply, and the figure continues to rise. This dynamic adds upward pressure on price, especially if demand keeps increasing.
Victor, a developer within the Zcash ecosystem, described the phenomenon as a sign of real adoption rather than speculation.
“Normal crypto behavior: pump → exchange → dump.Zcash behavior: pump → shield → zodl.This isn’t speculation. It’s adoption of privacy tech.” — Victor said.
A recent BeInCrypto report noted that some analysts even predict ZEC could surge beyond $60,000.
Meanwhile, on the Myriad prediction platform, investors are betting that ZEC will hit $300 before November, with the odds reaching 69%.
