The Zcash rally had sparked excitement at the end of 2025, and a rise to $1,000 was even predicted. Today, that prospect is viewed with bitterness: the project's team has resigned en masse and the price has collapsed. Is the star of privacy coins nearing its end?
The Zcash team is分裂
Zcash is going through a major period of turbulence that raises questions about its future stability. The entire team from Electric Coin Company, the main developer of the project, has resigned, accusing the Bootstrap foundation, the project's governance organization, of failure. This leadership crisis, combined with a technical drop in price, fuels speculation about an imminent collapse.
The split within the Zcash ecosystem reveals deep-seated tensions. The entire team from Electric Coin Company (ECC) has left the organization, denouncing a disguised termination imposed by the majority of Bootstrap's board, composed of Zaki Manian, Christina Garman, Alan Fairless, and Michelle Lai.
Josh Swihart, the outgoing CEO, claims these members have drifted from Zcash's original mission, making working conditions untenable. The team plans to launch a new company dedicated to advancing an unstoppable private currency, while emphasizing that the Zcash protocol remains technically unchanged.
Zooko Wilcox, founder of Zcash, for his part, downplayed the impact, assuring that the network remains secure and open, without taking sides in the dispute. This departure follows recent organizational changes, such as Swihart's appointment at the end of 2023 after Wilcox's exit.
The ZEC price has dropped by more than 18% since the beginning of 2026, following a spectacular rise of over 800% in 2025. This decline is part of a broader correction, but the departure of the ECC team has eroded investor confidence in the short term. The network continues to operate normally, demonstrating an inherent resilience built into its decentralized design.
Technical analysis confirms a warning of a further decline. Zcash has broken downward from an ascending wedge, erasing prior gains and initiating an intensified corrective phase. Currently around $453, the asset has lost 9% in 24 hours, falling below the psychological support level of $500. Derivatives data reveal strong pressure on long positions, with estimated massive liquidations of $28.46 million between the current level and $430. A drop into this zone could cascade into dominant short positions, amplifying the bearish momentum.
Despite these alarming signals, on-chain indicators temper the pessimism. The Chaikin Money Flow (CMF) indicator shows a bullish divergence: while the price is making lower lows, the CMF is registering higher highs, indicating accumulation by major investors. If this trend continues and the broader crypto market stabilizes, it could counteract the selling pressure and drive a rebound toward $500 and then $550. Conversely, sustained selling pressure could lead to a 27% correction, targeting $363 and breaking the support at $403, which would extinguish any bullish outlook.
