Monero Rose 6.5% This Week While Zcash Fell 6%. Which Privacy Coin Is the Better Buy?
Monero and Zcash are both built for privacy, yet one is surging toward its all-time high while the other quietly surrenders a 49% rally. A critical network upgrade review on October 20 could flip the script or confirm which coin…
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In the week leading up to October 17, 2026, Monero (CRYPTO: XMR) rose 8.1%, the top performer among major cryptocurrencies tracked by 24/7 Wall St. In contrast, Zcash (CRYPTO: ZEC) fell 5%. This Monero vs. Zcash split has privacy-coin buyers questioning which option—Monero or Zcash—offers a better investment opportunity right now.
Both Monero and Zcash are designed to provide transaction privacy, yet they’re moving in opposite directions ahead of Zcash’s upcoming NU7 network upgrade review. So, which privacy coin seems like the better buy as we near that review?
Monero Gains Ground While Zcash Gives Back Its September Rally
As of October 17, Monero trades around $558, about 30% below its January 14 record high of $798. Over the past 30 days leading up to October 16, Monero rose by 13.5%.
Meanwhile, Zcash is priced at around $1,162, down 5.8% in the past 24 hours and about 10.9% over the same 30-day period. This positions Zcash roughly 64% below its all-time high of $3,192 from October 28, 2016.
Despite Monero’s gains, Zcash holds a larger market position, ranking No. 10 with a market capitalization of about $19.7 billion, compared to Monero’s No. 13 spot at around $10.5 billion. Zcash also sees much higher trading activity, with about $1 billion in 24-hour volume compared to Monero’s $94 million, indicating that short-term traders are more engaged with Zcash.
The two coins also differ in their privacy features. Monero automatically conceals the sender, receiver, and transaction amount by default. In comparison, Zcash lets users send either transparent payments—like Bitcoin (CRYPTO: BTC)—that anyone can see, or shielded payments that encrypt those details.
Zcash Traders Pull Back While Monero Benefits From Steady Demand
Zcash rose about 49% from September 15 to September 26, climbing from $1,109 to $1,652, according to crypto analytics firm Santiment. However, by October 14, ZEC had retraced to close at $1,146, wiping out more than 90% of those gains.
Sentiment around Zcash has also cooled. According to Santiment, the share of positive social media posts about ZEC fell from 60% over a week to 54.8% in just 24 hours, signaling a rapid decline in enthusiasm.
Institutional interest in Zcash has also been quiet. On October 14, spot Zcash exchange-traded funds (ETFs) attracted $3.68 million—the first daily inflow since September 22.
In contrast, Monero’s price has steadily climbed over the past month without a significant hype boost. With no U.S. spot ETF available for Monero, its holders are primarily individuals who value transaction privacy. This may explain why Monero’s price stays closer to its all-time high than Bitcoin’s. However, Monero’s thinner trading market could result in sharp price swings if selling pressure builds.
Zcash’s NU7 Review on October 20 Is the Next Test
The Zcash team plans to review the NU7 upgrade test results on October 20 and set a date for the mainnet launch, targeted for November 5. The mainnet is where real transactions occur. The upgrade will introduce significant changes, including reducing block time from 75 seconds to 25 seconds.
Importantly, the upgrade will phase out an older transaction format. Any ZEC held in the original private pool (Sprout) could become unspendable unless users migrate it before the mainnet activation, as detailed in our previous Zcash NU7 coverage.
However, Zcash’s price has dipped following the last milestone related to the NU7 upgrade. After the testnet launch on October 4, when ZEC closed around $1,352, it tumbled to about $1,110 by October 8. Monero, on the other hand, doesn’t face a similarly significant event in the immediate future.
Monero vs. Zcash: Which Is the Better Buy Before the NU7 Review?
As we head toward the end of October, we believe Monero presents a stronger investment option. Its price is rising on steady demand, and it is trading much closer to its all-time high, unaffected by a single developer meeting. That said, Monero’s thinner market could lead to volatility if sizable selling occurs. Monero will need to hold above the $545 low seen in the 24 hours leading up to October 17, especially with the October 20 review approaching.
For Zcash, more elements need to align for a positive outcome. ZEC should hold above the $1,146 close from October 14 through the review, secure approval for the mainnet launch around November 5, and see multiple days of ETF inflows before a return to $1,652 becomes feasible. If the NU7 approval fails to boost the price, a daily close below $1,109—where the recent rally began—could signal a complete reversal of momentum.
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Sam Daodu is a crypto analyst who's spent nearly a decade making blockchain understandable—no easy task when most whitepapers read like fever dreams. He writes for 24/7 Wall St., covering Bitcoin, altcoins, and crypto market analysis for investors. Before crypto, he was a tech writer (back when explaining "the cloud" was peak innovation). Since 2018, he's written for CoinTelegraph, Yahoo Finance, The Block, Cryptonews, Zypto, Rain, and more—basically anywhere people want crypto news without the headache. Sam runs MacLabs Marketing, a content agency for crypto brands tired of sounding like AI wrote their website. He also publishes free crypto education on his site for Web3 enthusiasts who think "gas fees" is a typo. When he's not writing or staring at charts, Sam's either: - Watching anime (currently convinced One Piece has better tokenomics than most altcoins) - At the gym sculpting himself into a Greek god - Listening to the music your mum warned you only bad boys listen to Connect: LinkedIn | Email | MacLabs Marketing
