What’s Behind the Surge in Anonymous Cryptocurrencies

[Alpen]

In 2025, demand for privacy among crypto traders has surged. With Trump back in the White House and promising to introduce new crypto legislation, fears of blockchain surveillance have intensified. Meanwhile, the autumn market downturn made Zcash and Monero appealing as hedging assets.

Since September, ZEC has skyrocketed by 900%, while XMR has doubled over the same period — though demand for XMR has remained relatively stable throughout the year. Both cryptocurrencies run on independent blockchains that conceal recipient addresses and transaction amounts.

For this reason, regulators in many countries have banned them, and compliant CEXs have delisted them. Ironically, this lack of trading platforms has helped ZEC and XMR gain traction and build liquidity.

These coins might become the first in crypto history to re-enter the top 10 after such dramatic declines.

So, where can traders actually buy ZEC and XMR today?

[passwordnow]

So, where can traders actually buy ZEC and XMR today?

It's not that hard to find them, while there are exchanges that are delisting these privacy coins due to regulatory issues. But if you check on them, there are still plenty of exchanges that have them listed on their own platforms.

ZEC ~> https://coinmarketcap.com/currencies/zcash/#Markets
XMR ~> https://coinmarketcap.com/currencies/monero/#Markets

[asriloni]

It seems ZEC pumped so hard due to the renew of privacy narrative. If you aware how there is no big news for ZEC. Even there is also FUD about ZEC's co founder is a transgender. Logically, it was not pumping, but it got a pump due to the the change of narrative.

Since meme token has no demand anymore. Every whales are moving out. They are going to the dino coin that is still underperform, and traded at the bottom.

That's why so many old coins are getting pumped together. It's not caused by organic pump, but it's a manipulation by the whales.

As for the place to buy ZEC, why are you lazy enough just to visit CMC, and see which place you can buy ZEC? You have plenties of market to buy ZEC here. Don't be lazy.

[Alpen]

So, where can traders actually buy ZEC and XMR today?

It's not that hard to find them, while there are exchanges that are delisting these privacy coins due to regulatory issues. But if you check on them, there are still plenty of exchanges that have them listed on their own platforms.

ZEC ~> https://coinmarketcap.com/currencies/zcash/#Markets
XMR ~> https://coinmarketcap.com/currencies/monero/#Markets

As for the place to buy ZEC, why are you lazy enough just to visit CMC, and see which place you can buy ZEC? You have plenties of market to buy ZEC here. Don't be lazy.

CoinMarketCap is an old and respected stats service, but I've learned to be highly critical of their exchange listings for specific coins.

A while back, I tried to get into arbitrage and opened accounts on exchanges that CMC listed as having the lowest and highest prices. Half of those platforms turned out to be scams, or the listed price was just fake bait to lure in new clients. I actually lost crypto trying to make those trades.

Anyway, now I've just decided to trade Monero (XMR) through a crypto gateway. I'm holding off on ZEC for now—the token pumped way too high and is already dumping hard. But I'm officially buying XMR, with full KYC verification, on the Cryptomus platform.

[Frankolala]

I don't know the country that you are from, I just checked Kucoin exchange and they trade on ZEC. I don't know why you find it difficult to get an exchange that trades ZEC. It can be delisted in some exchange but not in all the exchange. Of course, I took my time to observe how this coin pymped even when the market is down. It shows that the price is being manipulated.

[BattleDog]

I've seen this ZEC/XMR surge before, it's the same privacy tide that rolls in every few years when folks remember Uncle Sam's watching their wallet balance. Add in election chatter and some new surveillance boogeymen, and boom, ZEC goes vertical like it's 2017 again.

But let's not pretend this is grassroots. When liquidity is thin and news cycles are spicy, it doesn't take much for a couple of well-fed wallets to light the fuse. Sprinkle in the narrative of "return to privacy," mix with a few CEX delistings (which ironically add to the mystique), and suddenly Telegram groups are buzzing like it's a freedom tech renaissance. Happens every time.

Don't get me wrong, I still respect what Monero's doing, slow, steady, no drama, just privacy. Zcash though? Between trusted setups, founder tax drama, and now being the darling of narrative-driven pumps... let's just say I'm keeping one eye open. As for where to buy? Come on. It's 2025. If you can find this thread, you can find ZEC. It's not hiding in a cave. Yet.

[Monzu778]

Secution of new market ideas and the advancement of technology. Although the popularity of secret-coins is growing, there are some caveats such as the risk of regulation, lack of liquidity, and local legal issues. Those who wish to participate should have in-depth storage and understanding of market conditions, and are advised not to view privacy as a fundamental issue.