Is Grayscale ZEC ETF Proposal the Beginning of the End for a Free ZCash?

Monero (XMR) has surged past $700, reaching new record highs amid increasing demand for privacy-focused cryptocurrencies, despite tightening regulatory measures from governments worldwide. This price increase reflects a significant shift in market dynamics, with XMR now positioned among the top 15 cryptocurrencies by market capitalization.

Vitalik Buterin has raised concerns about the design flaws in decentralized stablecoins, highlighting issues such as benchmark risk and flaws in oracle design. This critique comes at a time when the cryptocurrency market is experiencing significant volatility, particularly affecting privacy coins like Zcash.

Dash's price surged by 125% as traders shifted their focus to privacy coins, particularly following governance issues faced by Zcash. This shift indicates a growing interest in privacy-focused cryptocurrencies amid a volatile market.

Ripple has received preliminary approval for an Electronic Money Institution license from the Commission de Surveillance du Secteur Financier in Luxembourg, marking a significant step in its expansion strategy across Europe. This early nod is seen as a crucial development for the company as it seeks to enhance its operational capabilities within the European market.

A solo Bitcoin miner has achieved a significant milestone by winning a $300,000 block, marking a notable event in the cryptocurrency mining landscape. This victory highlights the potential for individual miners to compete against larger mining operations in an increasingly competitive market.

Grayscale has expanded its watchlist to include 36 tokens beyond Bitcoin, reflecting its ongoing strategy to diversify its cryptocurrency offerings. This move comes as the cryptocurrency market experiences fluctuations, with Bitcoin recently surging to $89,000, indicating a renewed interest in digital assets.

Revolut has reported a remarkable 156% increase in stablecoin payments in 2025, indicating a growing acceptance and utilization of cryptocurrency in real-world transactions. This surge reflects the company's strategic initiatives to enhance its digital payment offerings and user engagement.

Bitcoin has made its debut alongside gold exchange-traded products (ETPs) on the London Stock Exchange, with BTC USD approaching the significant milestone of $100,000. This development highlights the growing acceptance of cryptocurrencies in traditional financial markets.