$371 ZEC, do you want to chase?

Hash rate surged 30% overnight, Foundry mining pool made a strong entry, shielded pool broke through $5 billion, institutions are rushing to increase holdings— but what about the price? Just dropped from over $380, half the community is shouting $1,000, while others are already opening short positions. Is this privacy coin making a comeback, or is it the last frenzy?

First, look at the surface: it rose sharply, and fell hard.

In the past 7 days, it surged 39.5%, 30 days up 65.4%, a tenfold increase in a year. But don’t get carried away— the candlestick chart shows it just retreated from a high of over $380 back to the $357–$370 range, RSI dropped from 75.24 to 50.37, are the big players shaking out, or are they selling off?

First thing: are institutions really here?

Foundry Digital, the world’s largest Bitcoin mining pool, has set up a compliant mining pool specifically for ZEC. In just one month, they took over 30% of the total network hash rate. U.S. institutional miners can finally mine privacy coins legally and compliantly. ViaBTC’s hash rate share dropped from 65% to 37%, no longer dominated by one.

Second, privacy is no longer optional, but default.

Zcash’s shielded pool broke through $5 billion, over 30% of circulating supply is in privacy mode, shielded transactions account for nearly 60%. Zashi wallet sets privacy addresses as default—you don’t need to click any buttons, it’s anonymous by default. It’s like when HTTP became HTTPS— from “optional encryption” to “default encryption.”

Third, the community exploded, disagreements also erupted.

On one side are top institutions like Cypherpunk, Maelstrom, Paradigm, a16z, Coinbase Ventures, frantically increasing positions, raising $25 million to develop ZODL. On the other side are retail investors shouting “$400 is the top, I want to short.” 70% bullish, 30% bearish, the battle between bulls and bears is at its fiercest.

One side: institutional entry, hash rate soaring, privacy narrative exploding.

The other: concentrated control, profit-taking dumps, regulatory clouds still looming.

Key level: $357–$360, the dividing line between bulls and bears.

If you’re a short-term trader: buy in batches around $357–$360, cut losses decisively if it drops below $335, target $387–$420.

If you’re a long-term investor: test with a small position now, add more if it retraces to $340–$345. The privacy coin narrative has just begun, institutions have already laid the foundation— what are you rushing for?

ZEC now is like SOL in 2020— those who don’t understand think privacy coins are doomed, those who do are already stacking chips.