Zcash news

On Dec. 15 the SEC Crypto Task Force will host a four‑hour roundtable on financial surveillance and privacy, gathering zero‑knowledge protocol developers, civil‑liberties advocates and regulators. The meeting follows recent criminal cases—Samourai Wallet co‑founders received prison terms, and Tornado Cash developer Roman Storm was convicted of unlicensed money‑transmission but acquitted of laundering—highlighting the legal risks for privacy‑focused crypto tools. The panel will explore whether technologies like Zcash, Aleo, and SpruceID can satisfy securities‑law reporting without full ledger visibility, informing potential SEC rulemaking. The discussion also serves to position the agency relative to FinCEN’s pending Section 311 mixer rule, as the SEC seeks to demonstrate it consulted technologists and civil‑libertarians before deciding on privacy’s place in digital‑asset regulation.

The SEC will hold a delayed roundtable on financial surveillance and privacy on Dec. 15, bringing together privacy‑focused crypto innovators such as Zcash founder Zooko Wilcox, Aleo Network CEO Alex Pruden, Predicate CEO Nikhil Raghuveera, and SpruceID founder Wayne Chang. The meeting will examine how zero‑knowledge proofs, identity systems, and private computation fit into existing surveillance expectations. SEC crypto task force chair Hester Peirce said the discussion could reshape oversight without curbing civil liberties, while Grayscale’s chief legal officer Craig Salm urged industry engagement to prove privacy protocols can coexist with regulation. The event signals that regulators view privacy tech as central to the crypto market, amid a 237% rise in privacy token prices in 2025.

Grayscale has filed for a Zcash ETF (ticker ZCSH) on NYSE Arca, marking the first regulated vehicle for a privacy coin. The plan uses cash‑created shares and Coinbase Custody to hold ZEC, sidestepping shielded‑address compliance while offering exposure to the coin’s price surge. The structure shows that regulated markets can absorb privacy‑themed assets only as a speculative instrument; actual privacy features are muted by the ETF’s compliance framework. The product is aimed at institutions and investors who want a privacy narrative without dealing with shielded transactions.

Monero surged 23% this week on futures speculation while Zcash fell equally, reflecting leverage and timing within the privacy narrative.

Zcash’s price has stalled at roughly $543 as the market remains uncertain, but a recent filing by Grayscale for a spot Zcash ETF may revive interest. The Form S‑3 submission is a regulatory step that, if approved, could provide institutional exposure and drive new inflows. With ZEC hovering above $520 support and below $600 resistance, traders watch for a breakout that could liquidate about $19 million in short positions near $600. An ETF‑driven surge could push the coin toward $700, while a lack of demand could force the price back toward $442, undermining the bullish case.

Grayscale has filed to convert its Zcash Trust, holding about 394,000 ZEC, into an exchange‑traded fund, sparking a debate about whether a privacy coin should be subject to Wall Street’s control. Critics argue that an ETF would centralize influence over the asset, undermining Zcash’s decentralized, privacy‑first mission. They cite the trust’s already high institutional concentration and the steep discount of its shares as warning signs of potential redemption pressure similar to the GBTC experience. If approved, this would be the first privacy‑coin ETF and could set a new regulatory precedent, but it also raises concerns that institutional dominance could eclipse the cryptocurrency’s original purpose.

Grayscale filed a Form S‑3 with the SEC to convert its Zcash Trust into a spot ETF, potentially the first exchange‑traded fund linked to a privacy coin. The filing follows launches of spot ETFs for Bitcoin, Ether, Dogecoin, and XRP and could list on NYSE Arca. ZEC’s price rose over 50 % in 30 days and more than 1,050 % in a year, reaching $519.62. The move comes as other managers, including Bitwise and BlackRock, expand crypto offerings after the SEC’s January 2024 approval of spot Bitcoin ETFs.

Grayscale has filed a Form S‑3 with the SEC to convert its Zcash Trust into a spot exchange‑traded fund, potentially the first ETF tied to a privacy coin that could be listed on NYSE Arca. The filing comes as Zcash’s price has surged more than 50 % in the past month and 1,050 % over the year, trading around $519.60. The move follows the SEC’s approval of spot Bitcoin ETFs, prompting firms like Grayscale, Bitwise and BlackRock to add new crypto offerings; Grayscale also launched a DOGE ETF last week. Investor interest has grown, with Leap Therapeutics planning a $50 million investment from Winklevoss Capital to acquire ZEC tokens. Analysts have argued that the privacy coin could divert support from Bitcoin, though many remain skeptical.

The following article is adapted from The Block's newsletter, The Daily, which comes out on weekday afternoons.

Grayscale Investments filed with the SEC to convert its Grayscale Zcash Trust into an exchange‑traded fund, which would be the first ETF giving investors exposure to the privacy‑coin. Zcash’s price has surged nearly 1,000% over the past year, driven by social‑media hype and concerns about Bitcoin’s transparency. The coin is currently trading around $502, up about 40% in the last month.