- Zcash (ZEC) moved into positive territory with double-digit gains over the past 24 hours.
- While ZEC trades above $380, privacy coin Monero (XMR) slipped about 2% to $372.
- XMR earlier fell to intraday lows near $360.
Zcash and Monero, two leading privacy-focused cryptocurrencies, showed contrasting price action on Monday as the broader crypto market remained mostly subdued.
Bitcoin traded just above $92,000 ahead of the highly anticipated Federal Reserve conference, while BNB, Solana and XRP each tried to mirror Ethereum’s modest gains.
Still, the bulls’ failure to spark a broad-based rally left many altcoins well below recent highs, including Zcash and Monero.
Zcash posts double-digit gains
Zcash surged more than 12%, with the token’s price climbing from roughly $334 to near $400.
According to CoinMarketCap data, the privacy coin reached highs around $398 on major exchanges and pushed above $380 in several markets.
Although current prices near $383 remain well below the recent highs above $700, buyers may see renewed momentum as ZEC benefits from shifting sentiment that elevated it from a laggard to a top-20 cryptocurrency by market capitalization.
Rising private transactions, positioning Zcash as a privacy-focused alternative to Bitcoin, underscore renewed confidence. Open interest in Zcash futures stands above $783 million, down from $1.3 billion in November.
Speculative activity remains strong, as evidenced by more than $10 million in liquidations over the past 24 hours.
Coinglass data shows that 80% of ZEC’s 24-hour liquidations were short positions, likely caught off guard by the sudden price jump.
If Zcash clears the $400 resistance, bulls could target $500 and potentially revisit earlier yearly highs. Conversely, a break below $370 would hand advantage back to sellers.
Monero faces risk of further losses
By contrast, Monero declined over the same period.
The privacy coin tumbled to intraday lows near $360 and now faces an uphill battle after repeated rejections around the $380 level.
XMR currently trades near $372, down roughly 2% in 24 hours and about 10% over the past week.
Over the same seven-day span, ZEC rose more than 11%.
Monero’s losses extended to four consecutive bearish daily candles on December 7, 2025, and bulls will be keen to prevent a fifth red session.
Still, bears have recently erased most of November’s gains from its highs near $470.
The drop to $360 leaves Monero vulnerable to further erosion if support gives way. Like many altcoins, Monero’s weakness is tied largely to macroeconomic headwinds.
XMR is trading inside a widening wedge pattern, and the area around $400 has proven critical for sellers.
Open interest in XMR futures has also shrunk to about $54 million, down from $67 million on December 1, 2025 and a recent high of $98 million on November 10, 2025.
The token also formed a double-top near $435, suggesting a short-term decline could test support around the $335 region.