Markets turned cautious on renewed US shutdown fears and falling risk appetite.
Privacy coins have historically shown relative strength during risk-off phases.
ZEC is holding a falling wedge near key support, improving bounce odds like October 2025
Privacy coins like Zcash (ZEC), Monero (XMR), and Dash (DASH) are attempting a rebound at the exact moment macro headlines are turning risk-off.
Can ZEC, XMR, DASH Avoid US-Led Market Slump
Over the weekend, markets grew uneasy on renewed worries about a possible US government shutdown, with lawmakers still divided over funding and the risk of a lapse in federal operations.
That mix typically tightens risk appetite across equities and crypto. But privacy coins can behave differently when the market narrative shifts from “beta chasing” to “hedge positioning.”
Zcash did exactly that last year: Bitcoin slid, ZEC rallied, and traders treated it as a relative-strength outlier when broader risk appetite looked shaky.
ZEC/USDT vs. BTC/USD daily chart comparison. Source: TradingView
Do ZEC, XMR, and DASH still have clean technical setups that can override macro pressure, at least for a tradable bounce? Let’s examine.
ZEC Technical Analysis: Falling wedge keeps $661 in play
ZEC/USDT is compressing inside a falling wedge on the daily chart, with price now sitting near the pattern’s lower boundary around $345. This structure matters because wedges often reflect seller exhaustion: price makes lower highs, but bears struggle to extend breakdowns.
ZEC/USDT daily price chart. Source: TradingView
ZEC previously faked a breakdown near the late-2025 lows, then snapped back—often a shakeout before a rebound. RSI remains weak (high-30s), but price sits closer to support than resistance, improving bounce risk/reward.
A reclaim of the wedge’s upper trendline would bring $381–$462 into play first, then the ~$661 target. If the wedge floor breaks, downside opens toward ~$300 (0.618 Fib) and the 200-day EMA below.
DASH Technical Analysis: ZEC-Like Wedge Scenario
DASH/USDT is tracing a comparable falling wedge on the 4-hour chart, and unlike many pretty wedge drawings, this one comes with clear confluence underneath the current price.
DASH is hovering around $58.8, right on top of the 0.618 Fib level (~$58.0) and essentially on the 200-EMA (~$58.5). That cluster often acts like a first-defense zone where sellers begin taking profits and dip-buyers start probing.
XMR/USD remains the most conflicted after a near-vertical pump-and-dump that left behind choppy, unreliable liquidity.
XMR/USD daily price chart. Source: TradingView
Still, the pullback has reached a clean technical pivot: the 0.618 Fib near ~$450, reinforced by the rising trendline floor. That makes $450 the key decision level.
If buyers defend it, XMR can rebound toward $515–$590, where the 0.5/0.382 Fib bands and prior stall zones cluster. But if $450 fails, downside opens toward the 200-day EMA near ~$385, then the 0.786 Fib near ~$350.
Yashu Gola is a crypto journalist and analyst with expertise in digital assets, blockchain, and macroeconomics. He provides in-depth market analysis, technical chart patterns, and insights on global economic impacts. His work bridges traditional finance and crypto, offering actionable advice and educational content. Passionate about blockchain's role in finance, he studies behavioral finance to predict memecoin trends.