Zcash: The next crypto trend will be privacy protection, according to Arthur Hayes

Revival of “anonymous” cryptocurrencies? Arthur Hayes the former CEO of BitMEX and the current Chief Investment Officer of the Maelstrom Fund, already very bullish on Bitcoin (BTC), which he believes will reach $1 million is also betting on a new trend in the cryptocurrency sector: privacy and privacy . In a recent blog post, he argues that Bitcoin’s institutional success (particularly through its ETFs) has paved the way for more focused assets on privacy, such as Zcash (ZEC).

Key points of this article:

• Arthur Hayes is betting on the growing trend of privacy-focused cryptocurrencies, with Zcash leading the way.
• He predicted that these assets would be a key response to increased government surveillance, marking a return to cypherpunk ideals.

Privacy Protection: A Return to Cryptocurrency’s Cypherpunk Roots? In a blog post published on January 6, 2026, Arthur Hayes explains what he is looking at Zcash as ” privacy beta » and believes that assets, privacy-oriented, there are a necessary response to the expansion of state surveillance for each crypto transaction.

Therefore, Arthur Hayes predicts that cryptocurrencies that provide better privacy protection will become the next main dominant theme crypto market in 2026. And he thinks Zcash the best way profit from it because it offers a high “beta” to this narrative, meaning strong sensitivity to privacy-related events with potentially more amplified price swings.

The former CEO of BitMEX also mentions that his family office Maelstrom of which he is the chief investment officer (CIO), has already accumulated a significant position on Zcash at bargain prices during the third quarter of 2025.

Bitcoin and Zcash: Two Answers to Monetary Expansion However, Arthur Gaze has not given up on Bitcoin. He continues to view the king of cryptocurrencies as a key beneficiary of macroeconomic liquidity cycles . As the dollar’s money supply increases, he expects the prices of Bitcoin and some other cryptocurrencies to “ will grow rapidly “.

However, now he is adds ZEC to this list, seeing this cryptocurrency as a way to protect privacy in a world where surveillance becomes ubiquitous .

Although bitcoin remains a major asset in the portfolio of his fund Maelstrom, director of information technology chose Zcash the second largest asset in the family office.

So, will Zcash and privacy-focused cryptocurrencies be the next big trend in 2026? According to Arthur Hayes, macroeconomic context and strengthening of state supervision by the bitcoin sector, there seems to be powerful catalysts this return to privacy, which was originally advocated by cypherpunks . Observing the price of ZEC will help us confirm this trend.