Long overshadowed by regulatory constraints and the rise of centralized platforms, Zcash makes an unexpected comeback to the forefront of the crypto scene. Driven by a spectacular rise in its price and growing adoption of its privacy features, the project regains momentum. At a time when demand for private transactions is exploding, Electric Coin Company unveils an ambitious roadmap to assert Zcash’s central role in the ecosystem.
In brief
- •Zcash, long discreet, returns to the forefront thanks to a strong rise in its price and growing adoption of its privacy features.
- •Electric Coin Company (ECC), the developer of Zcash, publishes an ambitious roadmap for the fourth quarter of this year.
- •This strategy includes four technical priorities, including the addition of ephemeral addresses and better compatibility with Keystone wallets.
- •The ZEC price explodes, rising from $50 to $420 in two months, while its market cap surpasses that of Monero.
ECC Unveils Its Technical Strategy for a More Confidential and Robust Zcash
Electric Coin Company (ECC), the historic developer of Zcash, has revealed its roadmap for the fourth quarter of this year. The announcement comes in a context of an explosion in the price of its token and renewed interest in privacy-centered cryptocurrencies.
The team aims to strengthen the infrastructure of its Zashi wallet and improve the project’s operational security. The official statement specifies: “This quarter, ECC focuses on reducing technical debt, improving privacy and ease of use for Zashi users, and effective management of the development fund.”
The goal is to consolidate the protocol’s foundations and ensure a smoother experience for users.
In detail, ECC has identified four major technical priorities for this quarter:
- •The addition of ephemeral addresses for each transaction via the multichain NEAR Intents protocol, to minimize address reuse and thus enhance the privacy of swaps.
- •The automatic generation of a new transparent address when another existing one receives funds, to limit errors and improve ease of use.
- •Improving compatibility with the Keystone hardware wallet, notably by adding a resynchronization function, often requested by the community.
- •Integrating multisignature (P2SH) support into Keystone, with a first concrete application: securing the Zcash Developer Fund, intended to finance future protocol developments.
These technical adjustments mark a desire to modernize the ecosystem while respecting Zcash’s fundamental principles. They also fit into a logic of operational sovereignty with respect to centralized services, already initiated with previous Zashi developments.
A Price Explosion: The Zcash Blockchain Regains Momentum
Beyond technical developments, Zcash news is marked by an impressive surge in its economic indicators. The price of the ZEC token now approaches 420 dollars, versus about 50 dollars in mid-September.
This rapid growth is accompanied by a symbolic event: Zcash’s market capitalization has surpassed that of Monero, its main historic competitor in the privacy crypto field. However, the most significant evolution remains the explosion in the share of tokens used with active privacy protections. According to ZecHub, more than 4.1 million ZEC are now protected via Orchard, the latest version of the Zcash protocol, compatible with the old Sapling and Sprout standards.
This rise of “shielded tokens” occurs in a particular context. At the end of August, ECC launched a decentralized off-ramp for confidential ZEC, followed in early October by an on-ramp called “Swaps.”
These additions led the team to temporarily disable Coinbase integration, due to a new session-token system deemed “not very privacy-respecting.” These decisions, although technical, reflect a stated will to promote independence from centralized platforms and prioritize consistency with the project’s privacy values.
Zcash signs a strategic comeback driven by innovation and growing demand for privacy. With a clear roadmap and a market in full bloom, ECC is preparing the ground for a new phase. It remains to be seen whether this momentum will be sustained in the face of regulatory challenges.