As we go into the part of 2026 the privacy sector has changed a lot. The idea of being totally anonymous is not as important as it used to be. Now people want privacy that follows the rules. The big names in privacy like Monero and Zcash have been dealing with problems for years. They have had to fight to stay listed and have had trouble with money moving out.. Now a new player has come into the picture after working on it for six years. The new player is a contender, in the privacy sector. Privacy is still a deal and the privacy sector is changing. Dusk (DUSK) officially launched its mainnet on January 7, 2026, and the market is finally beginning to realize that its current valuation might be one of the biggest mispricings in the current cycle.
The Market Cap Gap: David vs. Goliaths
To figure out if DUSK is really cheap we need to look at the numbers. Now DUSK has a market value that goes up and down between 70 million dollars and 115 million dollars depending on how the market does each day. When you compare this to the players it is really surprising. Monero even though it is not listed on some exchanges anymore still has a market value of many billion dollars, which is often 20 to 30 times bigger, than DUSK. Even Zcash, which has struggled to reclaim its former glory, maintains a valuation several times higher than the newly-live Dusk Network.
The question for Binance traders is really simple: why is Dusk valued lower than older coins? Dusk is a blockchain that works well. It has smart contracts and it can work with real world assets.. Other older coins do not have these things and they are still worth more. The reason for this is that it takes time for people to understand how useful Dusk really is. People are still guessing about what Dusk's worth. Monero is a way to keep your money private.. It cannot be used for things like a special kind of exchange or, for regulated bonds. Dusk can do these things.
Privacy vs. "Regulated" Privacy
The primary reason DUSK is being eyed by institutional "Smart Money" is its unique technical architecture. Unlike Monero’s "always-on" privacy, which has become a lightning rod for regulators, Dusk utilizes a dual-track system. Its Phoenix model handles private transactions via ZK-proofs, while the Moonlight model allows for account-based transactions that can satisfy KYC/AML requirements. This isn't just a technical feature; it is a business model.
By being MiCA-compliant (the landmark EU crypto regulation), Dusk has opened doors that are permanently shut for other privacy giants. In an era where Binance and other top-tier exchanges must prioritize compliance, DUSK represents a "safe" way to gain exposure to the privacy narrative without the fear of a sudden regulatory delisting.
The RWA Multiplier: More Than Just a Privacy Coin
Perhaps the most significant "undervalued" catalyst for DUSK is its position in the RWA sector. Unlike Zcash or Dash, Dusk was built specifically to tokenize regulated securities. Its DuskEVM (launched early this month) allows developers to write private smart contracts in Solidity—the language of Ethereum—but with the added benefit of data confidentiality.
When you look at DUSK next to RWA leaders like Ondo or Centrifuge you can see that DUSK has even more possibilities. These other projects usually use chains so everyone can see what the big institutions are doing. DUSK is different because it gives RWAs a "Privacy Layer". If DUSK can get 10 percent of the market cap of the top RWA or Privacy projects the price of DUSK will have to go up a lot from where it is now which is, between $0.14 and $0.25. DUSK has a lot of room to grow. The price of DUSK would really need to increase if it wants to catch up to the RWA projects.
So what is the decision? Is a day finally arriving for the Dawn?
DUSK is in a good place right now. It has the technology of a project that has been around for six years. Its market value is like that of a new project. The DuskEVM is now up and running. Dusk is working with big institutions, like the NPEX stock exchange. This is starting to pay off. When people say DUSK is undervalued it is not something they hope for it is actually true. DUSK is. It is a fact that can be seen in the numbers. For those looking for a privacy play that won't end up on a regulatory "blacklist," DUSK is currently the only major contender bridging the gap between the dark-web origins of privacy and the bright-light future of regulated finance.
