Zcash Shielded Supply Hits Record 5.1 Million Amid Market Decline

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03.06.2026 231 times read 5 Comments

Zcash: Shielded Supply Reaches Record High of 5.1 Million Amid Weak Market

According to BeInCrypto, Zcash (ZEC) has achieved a significant milestone with its shielded supply reaching a record high of 5.1 million ZEC. This increase comes at a time when the broader cryptocurrency market is experiencing a downturn, with major tokens like Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Solana facing declines. In the last 24 hours, ZEC has surged over 13% to approximately $618, making it one of the few large tokens showing positive growth.

"The increase in shielded supply is significant as shielding is the main use case of Zcash," noted the report.

The rise in shielded Zcash holdings is primarily attributed to the latest pool, Orchard, which alone accounts for around 4.5 million ZEC. In contrast, older pools like Sapling and Sprout hold significantly less, with approximately 592,000 ZEC and 25,000 ZEC, respectively. This trend aligns with the thesis from Multicoin Capital, which has built a substantial position in ZEC, citing privacy as a safeguard against increasing visibility of assets.

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Key Takeaway: Zcash's shielded supply has reached a record 5.1 million ZEC, indicating strong demand for privacy features amidst a declining market.

Network Hashrate Hits All-Time High

The Zcash network has also seen a remarkable increase in its hashrate, which reached an all-time high of 16.3 GH/s at the end of May. This surpasses the previous highs of approximately 11 GH/s in 2022 and 10 GH/s in 2024. A higher hashrate enhances network security and indicates that miners are optimistic about the profitability of Zcash mining.

As the upcoming halving in November 2024 approaches, which will reduce the issuance of new ZEC, miners are ramping up their operations rather than scaling back. This is a strategic move as the focus on privacy in the cryptocurrency space intensifies.

Key Takeaway: The Zcash network has achieved a hashrate of 16.3 GH/s, reflecting increased miner confidence and security ahead of the upcoming halving.

Market Dynamics and Trading Pressure

On the trading front, ZEC is one of the few major assets experiencing net buying pressure, with approximately $33.73 million in net purchases on the perpetual exchange Hyperliquid. In stark contrast, Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Solana have all recorded net sales, with Bitcoin alone seeing over $506 million in net selling.

The open interest for ZEC stands at around $368 million, distributed among approximately 7,190 traders, which is substantial for a token of its size. The annualized funding rate for ZEC is approximately 40.77%, nearly four times higher than that of Bitcoin and Ethereum, which is at 10.95%. This high funding rate indicates that traders are paying a premium to maintain their long positions, suggesting a bullish sentiment.

Key Takeaway: ZEC is experiencing significant net buying pressure and a high funding rate, indicating strong trader confidence despite broader market challenges.

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I think its super interesting that Zcash is growing while others go down! It makes me wonder if the high funding rate menas something real important about the market? Also, the hashrate going up seems like good news but do we know if that helps the price much? Just seems like a mixed signal with all this market chaos.
Wow, this is kinda wild huh? 5.1 million shielded ZEC is such a big number! I mean, it really makes me think like why are people still into Zcash when the rest of the market is kinda falling apart? Like you said, the funding rate is super high too, almost makes you wonder if people are just gambling or if they really believe in it.

And can we just talk about that hashrate jump? 16.3 GH/s is insane! I thought big jumps like that only happened to Etherum or Bitcoin, but here we are with Zcash movin up like a rocket. But does that really help the price though?? Like does having more miners mean the price goes up or is it just a bunch of miners throwing their money at it? I think its like when more people start liking a band making their concerts more popular, but also it can backfire if no one ends up buying tickets.

Also, I've seen a lot of folks discuss privacy, which I get but I don’t super understand all of it. I mean, how much privacy do people actually need when they trade? Seems a bit extreme to me? Maybe I'm missing the point? I always thought trading crypto was already a bit shady for my taste. But yeah, I guess if Zcash is becomming more known for keeping things quiet it could appeal to more peeps.

And those net buys on Hyperliquid are something else! I wonder if they’ll keep going up or if it’s just a temporary hype? Like, will people get bored and move on to another shiny coin soon? Because I feel like that's what happens a lot in crypto. Anyway, thanks for sharing this! It's always fun to read up on stuff like this, even if I don't get everything.
Wow, it's really interesting to see how Zcash is managing to stand out during this rough patch for the crypto market. Like, while everyone else is struggling and witnessing declines, ZEC's shielded supply hitting 5.1 million is quite the achievement! It really shows that there’s still a strong demand for privacy features, especially with how visible everything has become. Makes me wonder if that’s going to influence other projects to step up their game in terms of privacy, you know?

Also, regarding the hashrate hitting an all-time high, I mean, that's got to be a good sign for anyone who's mining ZEC or even thinking about it! It's always a nice reassurance when you see that miners are confident about profitability. With the halving coming up in 2024, I’d bet a lot of miners are cramming in as much as they can now, so it’s gonna be interesting to see how that plays out.

I really agree with the sentiment that amidst all this market chaos, Zcash still seems like a solid player. But I can't help but question whether this high funding rate is something we should be cautious about, too. I mean, paying a premium to hold long positions sounds great on paper, but is it sustainable? I guess we'll just have to wait and see!

Overall, kudos to Zcash for finding a way to thrive even when the market's looking bleak. Definitely keeping an eye on this one!
Wow this article is good readin! Its kind of crazy to see Zcash doin so well when everythin else is tankin right? I mean, 5.1 million shielded ZEC is HUGE! It makes me think, like, are people really more into privacy now? I mean, what if all this market chaos is makin folks wanna hide their coins? The Orchard pool sounds super important too, I never really thought of that before. But like, do we know if it has anything to do with the old pools not bein used much?

Also, I saw that hashrate is up too! That means miners feelin good about Zcash huh? I wonder how that ties into the price tho, like if more miners make it worth more or if it just means they believe in the project? With the halving comin up, it’s not a surprise they're rampin up! Seems like everyone has their eyes on privacy coins these days. Isn’t it weird how ZEC’s funding rates are super high too? Like, people are really willin to pay extra for it!

But does this also mean traders are riskin more in a bad market? I dunno, just have a lot of questions, but Zcash is def on my radar now. What if this becomes like a big trend? I mean, life’s too short to not care about privacy right? Anyway, love all the insights in this article!
Wow, 5.1 million ZEC is a lot, but does anyone else think that this is like a fake high when the other coins r dropping hard, it kinda makes me think Zcash is like the last stand for the privacy warriors or smth, so idk if the hashrate is a sign of good things or just miners trying to hold on to somthing that's gonna crash too.

Article Summary

Zcash's shielded supply has hit a record 5.1 million ZEC amid a declining market, reflecting strong demand for privacy features and significant net buying pressure from traders. Additionally, the network's hashrate reached an all-time high of 16.3 GH/s, indicating increased miner confidence ahead of the upcoming halving in November 2024.

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