DCG founder and CEO Barry Silbert stated that the "privacy phase" of the crypto market has begun. Amid this assessment, Zcash has recently become a focal point of market attention. As the price of ZEC surges significantly, privacy-focused assets are re-entering the spotlight of mainstream investors.
Silbert compares Zcash to early Bitcoin.
Silbert recently stated on social platform X that Zcash is following a market trajectory similar to Bitcoin’s early days. He believes that the market once viewed Bitcoin as a more private value transfer tool, but as on-chain analysis companies have developed, the traceability of its public ledger has become widely recognized.
Under this context, Silbert believes that the market is reassessing the role of “digital privacy” in cryptocurrency assets, and Zcash may benefit as a result. Zcash employs zk-SNARKs technology to support shielded addresses, which conceal relevant transaction information.
ZEC price performance has spurred increased interest
The report noted that Zcash has gained 1,140% over the past year, significantly outperforming Bitcoin during the same period. This rally has also brought renewed attention to privacy coins, which were previously on the margins.
The Wall Street Journal recently reported on Zcash. For the privacy coin sector, which has long lacked mainstream financial media attention, this is seen as a rare exposure to the mainstream market.
Institutional holdings and infrastructure are advancing in tandem.
Silbert’s statement also aligns with DCG’s actual strategic positioning. Reports indicate that DCG has listed Zcash as one of its key holdings this year. Meanwhile, the mining company supported by DCG has recently launched an institutional Zcash mining pool, which Silbert noted is experiencing strong demand.
In addition to DCG, the Winklevoss brothers are also reported to have invested $50 million in a digital assets treasury firm, with the funds intended to increase their holdings of Zcash. This indicates that the privacy coin theme is no longer just a market narrative but is beginning to attract institutional capital.
Overall, this report reflects two changes: first, Zcash has re-entered the mainstream due to its price increase; second, discussions around on-chain privacy are shifting from technical topics to more clearly defined market themes.