Zcash (ZEC) Soars 27% Weekly: 3 AIs Debate Whether It Can Break Into the Top 10 in 2026
The recent price performance of the leading cryptocurrencies, including Bitcoin (BTC), Ethereum (ETH), Solana (SOL), Ripple (XRP), and many others, reflects the broader weakness in the market, reinforcing the outlook that we are currently in a bear cycle with no clear timeline for the next bull run.
However, some altcoins have managed to defy the overall decline. Zcash (ZEC) is a standout example, with its price exploding by 100% over the past month to over $650. Its market capitalization has surged past $11 billion, placing it as the 13th-biggest cryptocurrency. We asked three of the most widely used AI-powered chatbots whether the rally can continue and whether the asset has a chance to enter the prestigious top 10 club.
Yes, But…
According to ChatGPT, ZEC has a real shot, but such an ascent would require a very specific combination of market conditions, regulation, and narrative momentum.
The chatbot noted that privacy coins have surged in popularity lately and may become even more trending if some governments move with their CBDC plans or other centralized efforts. ChatGPT stated that the 10th position is currently held by Dogecoin (DOGE), whose performance relies heavily on speculation and social media hype.
“This is where Zcash enters the conversation. Unlike many speculative meme coins, Zcash operates within a niche that may become increasingly important over the coming years: financial privacy. Rising concerns around surveillance, wallet tracking, artificial intelligence, CBDCs, and stricter KYC requirements are pushing some investors to reconsider the importance of private transactions and censorship resistance,” it added.
Perplexity agreed that the asset can enter the elite club. According to its analysis, it will need two important things to happen at once: a strong ZEC-specific rally and either stagnant or weak performance from the coins currently above it.
The chatbot claimed that if privacy coins remain trending, the token would continue to attract capital from traders and investors. In conclusion, Perplexity said the outcome has “low-to-moderate probability” rather than the most likely one. The key signal to watch is whether ZEC can keep outperforming while the assets ranked 8-12, such as Tron (TRX), Dogecoin (DOGE), Hyperliquid (HYPE), and WhiteBIT Coin (WBT), stay flat or weaken.
It is important to note that HYPE has also defied the correction, with its price pumping by nearly 50% over the past week. With a market cap approaching $14 billion, the asset now sits noticeably closer to breaking into the top 10 club than ZEC.
The Rebels Rarely Win
While Google’s Gemini also highlighted ZEC’s price ascent, it claimed that becoming one of the 10 biggest cryptocurrencies this year is rather unlikely. It added that such success would depend heavily on the support of prominent industry figures, noting that BitMEX’s Arthur Hayes is among the few publicly backing the asset.
Gemini gave another rather unorthodox reason for ZEC not to enter the elite club. It said the top 10 is almost exclusively populated by massively viral assets with solid fundamentals that have become “institutionally friendly.” In comparison, “Zcash is built to be a rebel – and rebels rarely win popularity contests,” it argued.
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