Arthur Hayes has a new favorite coin \u2014 and it is not Bitcoin. The veteran crypto investor recently revealed that Zcash has become one of his largest crypto holdings outside of Bitcoin, a disclosure that has drawn fresh attention to a cryptocurrency that many had written off.<\/p>\n
Hayes said that as artificial intelligence, governments, and major tech firms gain more capacity to analyze public blockchain data, the demand for financial privacy will rise. Zcash<\/a>, according to him, is designed for exactly that.<\/p>\n His view is not an isolated one. Barry Silbert, a known personality in the crypto investment circles, described Zcash as resembling Bitcoin during its infancy \u2014 specifically around 2013, when BTC was still a fringe asset before its first major wave of mainstream adoption.<\/p>\n That comparison has resonated with a group of early Bitcoin<\/a> aficionados who feel the original crypto has drifted from its roots.<\/p>\n Arthur on why the Zcash and NEAR integration is the quietly building mechanism that flips NEAR from inflationary to deflationary<\/p>\n \u201cShielded Zcash lets you swap and send any coin, USDT on Tron, Bitcoin, anything, and that transaction will not point back to you. Completely\u2026 https:\/\/t.co\/AOWKNsDRbc<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/tytoAgM5q0<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Laura Shin (@laurashin) May 12, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n Based on a Wall Street Journal report<\/a>, a good number of longtime Bitcoin holders who were present during a 2026 Las Vegas digital currency conference expressed dismay with how traceable and institutionalized Bitcoin has become.<\/p>\n Government agencies, exchange-traded fund issuers, and blockchain surveillance firms can now monitor on-chain transactions with increasing precision. For some investors, that level of transparency is a problem.<\/p>\n Zcash was built to solve it. Launched in 2016 by cryptographer Zooko Wilcox alongside researchers from Johns Hopkins and MIT, the coin uses a technology called zk-SNARKs<\/a> that allows users to shield wallet addresses, transaction amounts, and transfer details.<\/p>\n Unlike Bitcoin, where all transaction data is public by default, Zcash gives users the option to transact privately while still allowing for transparency when needed.<\/p>\n The renewed interest has shown up in the market. Since the start of May 2026, ZEC climbed from around $380 to a high near $615 before pulling back.<\/p>\n The coin has gained more than 30% this month alone and is up nearly 50% over the past 30 days, significantly outpacing Bitcoin during the same stretch. At the time of writing, ZEC is trading below $520 after a 5.50% drop in the last 24 hours.<\/p>\nWhat Is Driving The Renewed Interest?<\/h2>\n
Strengthening Demand<\/h2>\n