Zcash and Bitcoin Cash Are Up This Week While Solana Fell 5%. Which Could Gain 20% First?
Zcash and Bitcoin Cash both sit within striking distance of a 20% recovery, but a November upgrade, a stalled CME catalyst, and a massive gap in volatility suggest the race between these two coins is far less even than it…
This post may contain links from our sponsors and affiliates, and Flywheel Publishing may receive compensation for actions taken through them.
This week, Zcash (CRYPTO:ZEC) and Bitcoin Cash (CRYPTO:BCH) gained, while Solana (CRYPTO:SOL) fell. Zcash is trading at $1,299, marking a 7.3% increase over the week. In contrast, Bitcoin Cash traded at $290, up 3.3%. Meanwhile, Solana fell by 4.5% to $101, hovering just above its 30-day low.
Both Zcash and Bitcoin Cash are on their way to recovery after a tough month. Zcash has fallen 18.4% over the past 30 days, and Bitcoin Cash has dropped 13.3%.
A 20% increase serves as a clear recovery benchmark, bringing both coins closer to their September 2026 highs. For Zcash, that means reaching about $1,559; for Bitcoin Cash, it means hitting around $348. So which coin is more likely to reach that mark first?
What a 20% Gain Would Make Zcash and Bitcoin Cash Worth
Market capitalization is calculated by multiplying a coin’s price by the number of coins in circulation. Zcash has a market cap of about $22.1 billion, ranking it 10th among all cryptocurrencies. If it gains 20%, its market cap would rise to about $26.5 billion, though that still lags behind Solana’s $59.6 billion.
Zcash’s target also falls short of its recent highs. The coin reached a 30-day closing high of $1,587 on September 27, so a 20% increase merely recovers ground lost in September. Its all-time high of $3,192 occurred on October 28, 2016, the very first day in its price history, making that benchmark less relevant.
Bitcoin Cash has a market cap of about $5.8 billion, ranking 21st. A 20% gain would lift its market cap to roughly $7.0 billion, with the $348 target still just above BCH’s 90-day high of $345 from September 22. To reach that level, Bitcoin Cash would need to regain all the value it has lost since September.
Zcash’s NU7 Upgrade Is Set for Early November 2026
Zcash is preparing for its NU7 upgrade, set to launch in early November 2026. This coordinated software change requires every Zcash node to adopt it. It will cut block times from 75 seconds to 25 seconds and keep 60% of transaction fees out of circulation until February 2031.
Traders have already tested this catalyst once. Zcash rose from $1,129 on October 18 to $1,316 on October 21, a 16.5% increase as anticipation around the upgrade grew. However, the rally faded, and it closed at $1,182 by October 23.
Bitcoin Cash’s CME Futures Catalyst Has Already Played Out
Bitcoin Cash surged when CME Group (NASDAQ:CME | CME Price Prediction) announced BCH futures on September 22. It climbed as much as 30%, rising from $ 267 to $ 348. However, that catalyst has already played out, since Bitcoin Cash closed at $283 after the first block trade in the new contracts was executed on October 20.
One catalyst for Bitcoin Cash remains open. Grayscale updated its SEC registration in September to include its Bitcoin Cash Trust (BCHG). If approved, the fund would buy Bitcoin Cash directly.
Zcash Swings Far Harder Than Bitcoin Cash
Zcash has been far more volatile than Bitcoin Cash. On October 8, Zcash hit an intraday high of $1,340, up 20.7% from its low of $1,110 that same day. By comparison, Bitcoin Cash had a high of $302, which was just 12.4% above its low of $268.
Over longer stretches, Zcash has outperformed Bitcoin Cash as well, climbing 177.1% over the past 90 days compared with Bitcoin Cash’s 36.4%. Zcash also posted its largest trading volume of the past month on October 8, which shows how quickly it can reprice when buyers or sellers crowd in.
Which Coin Is More Likely to Gain 20% First?
Zcash looks like the stronger candidate to reach a 20% gain first. Its higher volatility, upcoming NU7 upgrade, and target below its September high all work in its favor.
For Zcash, the path likely begins with NU7 activating in early November. Zcash would then need to recover its 50-day moving average of $1,300, its average closing price over the past 50 days. The key test is closing above $1,316, the October 21 price. However, if Zcash falls below $1,126, that would mark a setback for the recovery.
Bitcoin Cash, on the other hand, first needs to clear its 200-day moving average of $288 and then its 30-day high of $332. Without BCHG’s approval, Bitcoin Cash may struggle to keep pace with Zcash toward a 20% gain.
For holders of either coin, the level to watch is Zcash’s daily close in November. A close above $1,316 after NU7 activates supports this outlook, while a close below $1,126 would mean Zcash moved in the wrong direction first.
Contact [email protected] for any questions or corrections.
Sam Daodu is a crypto analyst and the editor of 24/7 Wall St.'s Crypto Desk, where he covers Bitcoin, XRP, Ethereum, Solana and the altcoins investors search for most. His work focuses on price levels, spot ETF flows, on-chain data and the regulatory decisions that move crypto markets, written so a first-time buyer and a seasoned trader can both use it.
Sam has written about crypto professionally since 2019 and has published more than 2,000 articles. Before joining 24/7 Wall St., he wrote for crypto media outlets and Web3 companies and ghostwrote for crypto founders and token launches. His analysis is syndicated on Yahoo Finance, MSN and AOL and has been cited by other crypto news sites. He also founded MacLabs Marketing, a content and personal branding agency for crypto founders and executives.
When he isn't reading charts, Sam is usually at the gym or watching One Piece, a series he maintains has better tokenomics than most altcoins.
