Monero Price Capitalizes on Zcash’s Post-Developer Exit Crash

Key Insights:

• Monero (XMR) price pulls off a 5% rally on the same day when Zcash crashed by double digits.
• Monero spot demand has been building up over the last few days amid recovering market sentiment.
• This Monero price prediction assesses how far the XMR price rally can go in 2026.

The privacy coin segment experienced a major setback this week, but it appears that Monero may be picking up the slack. It has now regained its position as the leading meme coin by market capitalization.

The Monero price rose by over 6% on Thursday after jumping from its day’s low of $430 to $464 at press time. It was also up by 11% from its lowest price point this week.

Monero price rallied while the overall crypto market cap was down by 1.3% during the same trading session. Moreover, its main rival, Zcash, was experiencing turmoil. That led to heavy liquidity outflows.

Monero may have absorbed some of the liquidity outflows from Zcash. The latter also lost its position as a leading privacy coin, allowing Monero to reclaim it.

Rising Monero Price Reflects Bullish Expectations in the Privacy Coin Segment

Monero’s rally this week was not surprising. This is because its spot flows switched from negative to positive, with daily inflows signaling rising demand.

Monero’s growing spot inflows mirror the rising narrative about privacy coins. The segment’s performance in Q4 confirmed healthy demand now that cryptocurrencies are going mainstream.

The bullish XMR price action prevailed over the last 12 months, but it was only a fraction of the rally that the Zcash price achieved during the same period. For context, XMR was up about 124% from its opening to closing price in 2025, while Zcash price rallied by 810%.

There was a really good reason for this outcome. Monero remained banned from most major exchanges, resulting in limited access. This limited access on mainstream exchanges may limit its potential upside.

Privacy seekers in the crypto segments may be forced to engage in DeFi to access Monero. It remains to be seen whether major exchanges, such as Binance and Coinbase, will list Monero this year.

How Far Can the Monero Price Go in 2026?

XMR price action has been on an overall uptrend since 2023, signaling healthy interest. The rising demand for privacy coins may drive further demand for XMR, particularly now that it has been validated as the leading privacy coin.

This may pave the way for XMR price to push to new historic highs. It surged as high as $498 at its peak last year, which was roughly 5% of its historic top achieved in 2021.

The fresh bullish momentum this week means Monero bulls have yet another clear chance at redemption, especially now when Zcash seems out of the way.

Healthy momentum may push Monero price to the $600-$700 price range within the next few months. Robust momentum could push it as high as $1,000 by 2027.

While the above Monero price predictions are within attainable levels, it is also worth noting that it may face competition. Cardano’s Midnight, for example, has a selective privacy feature, just as is the case with Litecoin.

These alternatives that exist in the mainstream exchanges may emerge as significant rivals for the Monero crypto. Despite this, Monero’s leadership in the segment, combined with rising concerns around Zcash, may still push the odds in its favor. The fact that mainstream exchanges have shunned it may ultimately boost its credibility.