Zcash ($ZEC) Surges Past $510 on Cypherpunk Treasury Buy and Institutional Momentum

Zcash ($ZEC), the pioneering privacy coin, has broken through $510 with a strong rebound, reaching an intraday high of $535 , fueled by significant institutional accumulation and a major treasury purchase.

Publicly traded crypto investment firm Cypherpunk Holdings—formerly Leap Therapeutics—announced the acquisition of 200,000 ZEC tokens, backed by a $58 million investment from the Winklevoss brothers, who plan to scale holdings to 5% of circulating supply. This move underscores growing confidence in privacy-preserving blockchain technology amid 2025’s regulatory clarity and rising demand for shielded transactions in decentralized finance. While trading volume spiked and community activity intensified, analysts caution that short-term volatility remains high, with key support and resistance levels defining the next phase.

What Drove the ZEC Price Surge?

The ZEC rally was triggered by Cypherpunk’s 200,000-token purchase, executed as part of a strategic treasury buildout focused on privacy assets. The Winklevoss-led investment signals long-term conviction, aiming for a 5% stake (~1.05 million ZEC at current supply) to position Cypherpunk as a leading corporate holder. On-chain data shows institutional inflows dominating volume, with exchange netflows turning negative (tokens moving to cold storage) and large wallet accumulation up 180% in 72 hours. The rebranding from Leap Therapeutics to Cypherpunk Holdings reinforces narrative alignment with privacy advocacy, resonating with Zcash’s zk-SNARKs foundation and Electric Coin Company’s ongoing protocol upgrades.

• Purchase Size: 200,000 ZEC (~$102M at $510 average).
• Target Stake: 5% of ~21M circulating supply.
• Volume Spike: 24h trading up 320% to $1.8B.
• On-Chain Signal: 68% of volume from wallets >10K ZEC.
• Privacy Catalyst: Ties into rising demand for shielded DeFi and remittances.

Why ZEC Momentum Matters in 2025 Privacy Trends

ZEC’s breakout matters in 2025 because it validates privacy coins as institutional-grade assets, especially as regulatory frameworks like the Digital Asset Market Clarity Act and GENIUS Act clarify compliant use cases for shielded transactions. With Monero delistings increasing scrutiny on full anonymity, Zcash’s selective disclosure (view keys) offers a balanced alternative—enabling audits while protecting user data. Cypherpunk’s move mirrors MicroStrategy’s Bitcoin strategy, but for privacy, potentially inspiring corporate treasury diversification. For DeFi users, this strengthens ZEC’s role in private pools, cross-border payments, and regulatory-compliant wallets.