$1332: Zcash is the only currency among the top ten cryptocurrencies to achieve weekly gains

Zcash price rises to US$1,332: bucking the trend in a depressed market, with technology upgrades and compliance deadlines approaching

Early Monday morning, the price of Zcash (ZEC) was about US$1,332, up about 8% from 24 hours ago. What is striking is not the one-day gain, but its relative performance: Among the top 10 cryptocurrencies by market capitalisation, Zcash is the only asset to have maintained positive returns in the past seven days. During the same period, Bitcoin fell 2.6%, Ethereum fell 5.9%, and Solana fell 7.1%.

For German holders, there are two key dates and a cut-off date that are not related to price fluctuations. On October 20, the Zcash development team will decide the specific time when the NU7 network upgrade will take effect on the main network. November 5th is an outstanding key node. Any user who still holds a balance in the network's oldest crypto pool (Sprout) must transfer funds before then, or they will no longer be able to use that balance later. This article will explain the price background, market data and key points that need to be paid attention to before these two dates.

Zcash price analysis: support and resistance at the US$1,332 level

As of October 12, 2026, Zcash price is US$1,332. The day's opening price was US$1,275, with a high of US$1,348 and a low of US$1,221 in the past 24 hours. The intra-day range of fluctuations is about $127, which accounts for about one-tenth of the price. In this market environment, setting too strict limit orders can easily miss transaction opportunities.

Based on the trend of the day, two key prices can be established. The upper resistance is a high of $1,348 hit in early trading; the lower support is an intraday low of $1,262, which is above the 24-hour low of $1,221. As long as intraday lows are maintained, the recent uptrend remains intact. Judging from historical highs, the price of Zcash exceeded US$1,500 on September 20, 2026. Despite this week's strong performance relative to other market assets, current prices are still quite far from that high.

Market comparison: The four major currencies lead the week in gains

Zcash's outstanding performance this week can be quantified through data. This article analyzes the top 40 cryptocurrencies by market capitalisation, excludes stablecoins and packaging variants such as Wrapped Bitcoin or pledged Ethereum derivatives, and compares the seven-day changes of the remaining 25 assets. The results showed that only four assets achieved gains:

• NEAR Protocol: led the gains, up 17.9%
• Avalanche (AVAX): Increase 0.6%
• Canton (CTN): Increase 0.5%
• Zcash (ZEC): Increase 0.4%

The remaining 21 assets were all down, with Uniswap falling the most (-14.4%), followed by Bitcoin Cash (-9.9%) and Stellar (-9.3%). This statistical result is more reference value than a one-day increase. Although a single-day increase of 8% occurs several times per quarter in this size of tokens, this scarcity is even more significant in a market environment where only four large assets rise in a week. At the same time, this also clarifies Zcash's status: although it is the only positive-yielding asset in the top ten, its weekly increase is only 0.4%, a weak advantage and far inferior to NEAR's performance.

Performance of head assets: The privacy coin sector has not fully exerted its strength

Among the top ten assets, the trend is clearer. In the past seven days, Bitcoin fell 2.6%, Ethereum fell 5.9%, BNB fell 5.2%, XRP fell 6.8%, Solana fell 7.1%, and Tron fell 1.0%. Due to their pegging to the US dollar, the stablecoins in this group have little volatility. This makes Zcash the only asset in the group with a positive return.

An intuitive explanation for Zcash's strength may be the flow of funds to privacy coins that can hide transactions. Privacy coins refer to cryptocurrencies whose amount, sender and recipient are technically not publicly visible. However, this explanation was only partially true this week. Monero, the second-largest representative in the field, has fallen 1.3% in the past seven days, although it edged up 0.7% in 24 hours. The overall privacy coin sector did not outperform the broader market, and only Zcash itself was outstanding.

It is currently impossible to point to a single given trigger that led to a one-day rise. In terms of background, there are stories about ZEC funds in October: including reports of capital outflows in early October and disclosures of new fund fees in mid-October. In contrast, the network's technology roadmap is recordable and plantable, and has been advanced recently.

Technical Analysis: The difference between Zcash and Bitcoin and the upgrade of NU7

Zcash was launched in 2016 as a branch of the Bitcoin concept, and also creates new blocks through computing power. Proof of Work is the process by which computers compete for the right to write the next block. The difference between the two is visibility: in addition to open addresses, Zcash has a "Shielded Pool". The shielded pool is an area of the blockchain where the amount and participant information are stored encrypted and can only be viewed if you have a matching key.

These pools have been updated many times over the years. The oldest is Sprout, and the current one is Orchard. If a user's ZEC has not been moved for many years and is stored in an old wallet, it may still be in the Sprout pool. The deadline discussed below is based on this. Another important technical indicator for price analysis is the target interval between two blocks. Currently 75 seconds, which is the core of the upcoming upgrade.

Detailed explanation of NU7 upgrade: Block generation time is shortened to 25 seconds

NU7 is Zcash's seventh major network upgrade and aims to shorten the target interval between two blocks from 75 seconds to 25 seconds, tripling the frequency at which the network shuts down blocks. For holders, this means shorter transfer waiting times and faster confirmation times. The upgrade also includes two changes: shutting down version 4 transactions and introducing a new mechanism to redirect some transaction fees to future block rewards.

This mechanism is called the "Network Sustainability Mechanism." It collects a portion of the fees paid and distributes them in the future through block rewards rather than destroying them. The background is that the total number of ZECs is capped at 21 million: as the halving event progresses, the rewards for new blocks will decrease, and the fee is designed to cushion this decline. For holders, this does not affect the money supply, only how it is distributed over time.

Currently, all of these features are running on the test network. According to reports, the planned activation height is block 4,465,026, which was reached on October 4, 2026, two days earlier than developers expected. The testnet is an unfunded copy and is used for testing before the actual mainnet deployment. Therefore, success on the test network does not mean that it has been activated on the main network.

Critical time node: October 20 to determine the main network upgrade date

The situation has changed since the early article. The previous article mentioned November 5 as the date, but at present it seems that this day is only a target rather than a fixed date. The development team plans to decide on the activation plan of the main network on October 20, 2026, before setting the specific block height at which NU7 will take effect. Block height is the sequential number of blocks on the chain, and upgrades are usually implemented for specific numbers rather than specific points in time.

In practice, this means two things: first, November 5 is not a date that can be marked exactly on the calendar; second, October 20 is the day when the uncertainty ends. If you need to transfer balances, waiting for announcements is the wrong strategy: Deadlines are calculated based on activation time, and based on current plans, there may be about two weeks between decision and activation.

Sprout Pool Warning: Old versions of ZEC will not be available if they are not transferred.

Closing version 4 transactions has a consequence. Although it only affects a small number of people, the impact is huge. After NU7 is fully activated, balances located in the old Sprout pool will not be spent if they are not transferred to the current pool in advance. Funds are not lost, they are still on the chain, but cannot be spent through matching old transaction types.

If you sent a ZEC to a blocked address many years ago and haven't moved it yet, you may be affected. There is a detailed step-by-step guide on how to check whether the balance is in the Sprout pool and how to transfer it. It should be noted that if ZEC is deposited on an exchange, users are not subject to this deadline, as the exchange is responsible for managing the address.

Taxation and Custody: Considerations for German holders

This week's price increase needs to be considered in conjunction with German tax rules. In Germany, proceeds from the sale of cryptocurrencies are exempt from tax after the holding period exceeds one year, based on the provisions of Article 23 of the German Income Tax Act on private disposal. If sold within one year, the proceeds are included in taxable income and taxed at the personal tax rate. A threshold of € 1,000 per year applies to earnings within a one-year window, which is a limit rather than a deduction: beyond this limit, all earnings are subject to tax.

In tokens that fluctuate by hundreds of dollars in a week, the holding period often determines the final yield more than the entry price. The key figure is the date of each individual purchase operation, not the average cost of holding a position. If you buy across multiple years and multiple platforms, you need clear reporting. Regarding custody, decisions depend on the aforementioned deadline. If the coins are in your own wallet, you hold the private key and handle the transfer from the Sprout pool yourself; if on an exchange, the exchange is responsible for the technical level, you bear the provider's risk. Both have their own advantages and disadvantages, and due to the existence of blocked addresses, not all wallets support all pools.

Investment Channels and Future Regulation

In Germany, ZEC can be traded through cryptocurrency exchanges or listed securities with European authorization. The path you choose determines whether you hold the coin in person or hold a certificate that tracks the price. There is also a further but most important date: European anti-money laundering regulations require service providers not to hold anonymous accounts or cryptocurrency assets with built-in anonymity from July 2027. This obligation applies to regulated companies, not to holders. The main practical consequence is that trading channels with European providers may be narrowed, while holding in your own wallet is not subject to this restriction.

Summary and Recommendations

This week showed a situation: a token stands out in a weak market while having two dates independent of price. The price chart provides levels of $1,348 (resistance) and $1,262 (support). The network roadmap provides a decision date of October 20 and a deadline for old balances. This leads to three steps:

1. Check for positions: Check if your ZEC balance is in the old blocked address and transfer it before NU7 activation.
2. Determine the trading path: If you want to buy more or sell, please compare the provider's fees and authorizations in advance.
3. Focus on key points: Pay attention to the resistance/support levels at $1,348 above and $1,262 below, and add October 20 to the calendar.

(As of October 12, 2026. This article does not constitute investment advice. Price and fee structures are subject to change; consult provider terms before purchasing.)