Zcash Will Rise to ‘First Stop’ Target of $1K: Arthur Hayes

Zcash’s (ZEC) price could be gearing up for a push toward its “first stop” target of $1,000, according to Arthur Hayes, the former CEO of crypto derivatives exchange BitMEX.

Key takeaways:

ZEC has risen 40% since Arthur Hayes’ Dec. 19 liquidity call, with privacy narratives gaining momentum.

Zcash charts still target $1,000 in the longer term, but a pullback toward $400 should not be ruled out.

ZEC price pumps 40% after Hayes’ endorsement

Hayes’ bullish outlook for Zcash first appeared during a Dec. 19 interview, where he explained that liquidity can still return to markets even if the Federal Reserve never explicitly announces “quantitative easing” in 2026.

He said policymakers will rely on short-term funding operations and reserve-management purchases to quietly inject cash into the financial system without drawing headlines.

In that setup, privacy and zero-knowledge technologies will re-emerge as a dominant crypto narrative, positioning Zcash as a liquid proxy trade if risk appetite returns, Hayes argued.

Since that interview aired, ZEC has rallied about 40%, climbing to about $550. The move extends an 82% rebound from its local low near $300 established just a month earlier.

The pump appeared similar to Hayes’ ZEC endorsement in October when its price rallied to a multiyear high of $775 from about $75.

ZEC triangle breakout reinforces $1,000 price target

Crypto trader Crypto Curb highlighted Zcash breaking out of its prevailing ascending triangle pattern while reclaiming its 50-week moving average (50-week MA) as support.

In his analysis, the breakout structure left the door open for a direct expansion toward the $1,000 zone, particularly if privacy-focused narratives gain traction in 2026.

Related: What’s behind the surge in privacy tokens as the rest of the market weakens?

In contrast, analyst Eric Van Tassel said a ZEC price pullback toward the $400 zone is possible in the coming days owing to a prevailing rising wedge pattern.

This potential downside move would be a “normal reset,” however, that would clear excess leverage and enable a more profound rally toward the $1,000 target.

“Keep in mind that we did not see an actual retest of $400 as the price was just short of that at $404.60 on this chart,” Van Tassel wrote on Saturday, adding:

“[Market makers] love to go back and tag those important numbers. This further strengthens the case of going back to do that, as the rising wedge measured move aligns perfectly.”

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