Zcash Hits Record High Above $800 on ETF Optimism

Zcash surged to a new all-time high on Saturday, August 22, 2026, breaking past the $800 mark for the first time since January 2018 as a broader cryptocurrency rally was fueled by regulatory optimism and fresh institutional interest. The privacy-focused token climbed as high as $851 during a volatile 24-hour period, extending a powerful rally that began the previous day.

The price movement was driven by a combination of factors. A key catalyst was Grayscale Investments' continued push to convert its Zcash Trust into a spot exchange-traded fund (ETF). The firm filed a fourth amended registration statement with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on August 18, proposing to list the trust on NYSE Arca under the ticker ZCSH. The filing also disclosed that Digital Currency Group International Investments is in nonbinding talks to contribute approximately 200,000 ZEC, worth around $163 million, to the trust. The trust held about 388,674 ZEC at the end of June, making the proposed amount substantial. The ETF has not been approved and remains under SEC review.

Zcash's advance was part of a wider market upswing. Bitcoin Cash gained over 31%, while Cardano, Dogecoin, and Stellar...