According to new data from CoinMarketCap AI, the privacy coin sector has exploded by +83.91% over the past month, marking one of the strongest category performances in the crypto market this quarter.
The gains are largely driven by a parabolic rise in Zcash (ZEC), which has soared +704.73% since September 1, while Monero (XMR), the sector’s long-standing leader, climbed +31.24% over the same period.
The sudden revival of privacy-focused tokens comes amid renewed debates over digital surveillance, blockchain transparency, and regulatory pushback against financial anonymity. Analysts suggest that as governments tighten KYC and reporting standards, investor interest in decentralized privacy solutions is rising sharply.
According to cmc.​ai, Privacy coins +83.91% over the past 30 days.
The surge is concentrated in large caps: Zcash (ZEC) has climbed +704.73% since 1 Sep while Monero (XMR) is up +31.24%, with ZEC the primary driver of the sector’s performance.
Here are the top privacy tokens by… pic.twitter.com/AixiiuZvLZ
— CoinMarketCap (@CoinMarketCap) October 28, 2025
As of October 28, Monero (XMR) maintains the top spot among privacy coins with a market cap of $6.31 billion, followed by Zcash (ZEC) at $5.39 billion, and Dash (DASH) at $604.75 million, according to CoinMarketCap’s ranking.
Other notable gainers include Pirate Chain (ARRR), up +38.19% this week, and Keep Network (KEEP), which rose +3.47%, signaling broad sector momentum beyond just large caps.
The rally also appears to reflect growing speculative interest in privacy as a core theme for the next crypto cycle, particularly as institutional investors begin exploring zero-knowledge technologies and privacy-preserving smart contracts.
With ZEC’s outsized rally setting the tone, the sector’s resurgence highlights a shift in market psychology: investors are increasingly looking beyond memecoins and AI narratives, turning their attention to crypto’s original promise, financial freedom through privacy.