Zcash price outlook: ZEC falls 5% to $410 as bears tighten grip despite $1,000 bull targets

• Zcash has dropped about 6% in the past 24 hours as bulls fail to rebound above $420.
• The privacy coin led the cryptocurrency market as Bitcoin floundered.
• ZEC may benefit amid broader adoption in 2026.

Zcash price has experienced significant turbulence in the past weeks, rising to highs of $744 in November before plummeting to $313 in early December 2025.

While bulls managed to rebound to above $450, the latest downturn has it hovering around $417 as bears show conviction at the $420 mark.

Broader market pressures on privacy-focused coins, which also saw the Midnight token nosedive 25%, have ZEC at risk of further losses.

Zcash drops to $410 amid fresh losses

Zcash has recently attracted a lot of attention as the privacy-centric cryptocurrency makes a case for itself with shielded transactions.

That outlook, amid catalysts such as digital asset treasuries and exchange-traded fund filings, helped ZEC price jump to above $744 in November. 

However, the token has seen its value dip sharply to $410 in the latest trading session.

This marks a notable decline in the past month, and today’s slump moves bulls further away from the $450 mark. ZEC has dropped by about 5% in the past 24 hours.

The price breach below key support levels, such as $420, has intensified bearish pressures.

Zcash price outlook: Grayscale in 2026

Recently, Zcash briefly neared the psychological $500 level amid optimism around privacy enhancements and institutional interest. But as seen on the chart below, sellers are looking to regain control as short-term momentum fades.

While short-term bears dominate, long-term adoption in financial privacy could propel ZEC higher, contingent on market stability and innovation.

According to Grayscale, privacy is one of the key market themes to watch in 2026 and Zcash stands to play a key role amid broader crypto integration into the financial system.

Grayscale wrote in its 2026 Digital Asset Outlook: Dawn of the Institutional Era report.

“If public blockchains are going to be more deeply integrated into the financial system, they will need much more robust privacy infrastructure — and this is becoming obvious now that regulation is facilitating that integration. Potential beneficiaries from investor focus on privacy may include Zcash (ZEC), a decentralized digital currency akin to Bitcoin with privacy-preserving features.”

Bullish projections for ZEC in the next 12 months have $1,000 as the base case scenario. Bulls reclaiming this level could allow for a bullish run to $2,000.

However, the all-time highs seen in 2016 may be a major ask, particularly if broader market conditions do not offer the tailwinds required.

ZEC has seen over $588 million traded in the past 24 hours.