Zcash (ZEC), the market’s leading privacy-focused cryptocurrency, has 
delivered a massive performance, with year-to-date data showing ZEC is up more 
than 1,200%, dramatically outpacing major coins. Cardano (ADA), by contrast, 
has been in a very different posture, with the same period showing a roughly 
66% retrace. The divergence has been so pronounced that Zcash briefly 
surpassed Cardano by market capitalization, pushing ZEC to become the 11th- 
largest cryptocurrency on May 10—an inflection point that has led at least one 
market expert to suggest ZEC could ultimately flip ADA in that key ranking. 
Why Zcash Is Catching Investors’ Eye Market expert Alex Carchidi highlighted 
several drivers in a new report, pointing to big accumulation as one of the 
most important themes. For example, Multicoin Capital disclosed in early May 
that it has been building a significant position in Zcash since February. That 
kind of accumulation is not limited to one firm. Cypherpunk Technologies has 
also accumulated an additional 295,000 Zcash tokens, representing about 1.7% 
of the coin’s circulating supply. Related Reading: Hyperliquid (HYPE) To $100? 
Expert Forecasts Major Rise Before Summer 2027 Carchidi noted that the 
network’s privacy usage appears to be rising in parallel with price. 
Approximately 30% of Zcash’s circulating supply is now held in shielded 
addresses. These addresses rely on specialized cryptography to encrypt 
transaction details, preserving user privacy—a capability that standard public 
blockchains don’t offer in the same way. Importantly, this share has nearly 
quadrupled over the past two years, a trend Carchidi says strongly suggests 
that adoption and usage are increasing alongside ZEC’s market momentum. 
Cardano Lacks Clear Path To Breakout At the same time, the expert argues the 
comparison with Cardano is different in almost every way besides market cap. 
Carchidi pointed out that Cardano is built as a smart-contract blockchain and 
is designed to compete in decentralized finance (DeFi), yet its traction has 
been comparatively limited. As of May 12, Cardano reportedly had only about 
$137 million in total value locked (TVL), placing it 26th among all 
blockchains. That figure also reflects a notable decline from roughly $410 
million a year earlier. Carchidi’s view is that Cardano is in what he 
described as an “awkward valley.” He argues it is too slow and relatively 
expensive to compete effectively with high-speed, high-throughput chains such 
as Solana (SOL). At the same time, even though Cardano is cheaper than the 
blockchain it was originally created to beat—Ethereum (ETH)—it remains 
slightly slower and does not have nearly the same ecosystem scale. From this 
angle, the expert sees the market’s behavior as reflecting a widening gap in 
conviction narratives. According to Carchidi, institutional capital tends to 
favor stories that can stand up to scrutiny. He claims Zcash has such a 
narrative, while Cardano’s story has largely been “wait for better times” for 
the past several years—without enough clarity on how the better times will be 
delivered by what the developers are building right now. What Could Drive ADA 
Higher? Carchidi suggested that a potential approval for a spot Cardano 
exchange-traded fund (ETF) in the second half of 2026 might be the clearest 
near-term reason to hold. Even so, he doubts that investors would be eager to 
hold Cardano through an ETF if there is not a strong investment thesis 
supporting purchases at current levels. Related Reading: Coinbase CEO Unpacks 
The Crypto Bill’s Biggest Promise For The US Financial System Ultimately, 
Carchidi’s conclusion is direct. He argues that, given the lack of clear 
catalysts and the uncertainty around what would drive recovery, it may make 
sense to sell Cardano. Zcash, on the other hand, could be attractive if a 
portfolio needs exposure to privacy coins or scarce stores of value. At the 
time of writing, ZEC was trading at around $545, having recorded additional 
gains of 63% in just two weeks. During the same period, ADA recorded gains of 
9%, trading at around $0.27. Featured image created with OpenArt, chart from 
TradingView.com

Zcash (ZEC) Rockets 1,200%—Expert Says ZEC Could Soon Outgrow Cardano (ADA)

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DESRI and Meta sign 850 MW of new power purchase agreements, pushing partnership past 2.5 GW

As the market reacts to the latest crypto legislation, Ethereum (ETH) is 
flashing warning signs after a fresh technical sell signal emerged for the 
first time in months and a spike in on‑chain realized profits. Related 
Reading: DEF Warns ‘Anti‑DeFi’ Amendments To CLARITY Act Could Threaten Users, 
Developer Protections Ethereum Risks New Leg Down After Key Sell Signal On 
Thursday, Ethereum jumped 3.5 % intraday before hitting its three-day $2,320 
resistance area. The move follows the advancement of the crypto market 
structure bill, known as the CLARITY Act, to a full Senate vote after a 15-9 
bipartisan vote during the Senate Banking Committee’s long-awaited markup 
session. The King of altcoins has been moving sideways between $2,200 and 
$2,400 over the past month, which some have called a “no-trade zone.” While 
many analysts suggest that a breakout above the upper boundary is coming, 
analyst Ali Martinez has warned that Ethereum may be close to a major 
correction. In an X post, the market observer highlighted that a new sell 
signal has emerged on ETH’s weekly chart for the first time in nine months. He 
explained that the TD Sequential indicator has been highly precise in 
anticipating the altcoin’s trends since April 2025, with every signal on the 
weekly timeframe validated by significant price action over the past year. In 
mid-April and mid-June 2025, the key indicator flashed two buy signals, 
resulting in multi-week rallies of 87% and 134%, respectively. Meanwhile, it 
flashed a sell signal in late August 2025, which accurately timed a 63% 
correction from its all-time high (ATH) levels toward the February lows. Now, 
the latest weekly signal “suggests Ethereum is entering another corrective 
phase,” which could push the price to new local lows. If selling pressure 
accelerates, Martinez shared an initial target of $1,900, followed by 
potential mid- and long-term targets of $1,565 and $1,090. Time To Turn 
Cautious Or Bearish? Blockchain analytics firm Santiment highlighted that 
Ethereum realized profits rose to $74.58 million, its highest level in three 
weeks, even as the price fell 5.5% over the past three days. It noted that 
although this setup may seem “counterintuitive” given the recent pullback, it 
does not necessarily mean investors should turn completely bearish. As the 
firm explained, holders with a much lower cost basis are the ones taking 
profit during the mid-May dip. These traders accumulated back in February and 
March when Ethereum was below $2,000 amid market uncertainty and geopolitical 
risks. As a result, those who purchased during that period are still in profit 
despite the recent decline and may “have decided to sell while they feel they 
still have the opportunity to enjoy a profit.” Related Reading: Bitcoin Rally 
At Risk: This Critical Resistance Could End BTC’s Bullish Run Meanwhile, on- 
chain activity volume increased, with 4-hour candles showing notable price 
compression around the $2,241 level. Santiment emphasized that more 
transactions generate more Profit and Loss (P&amp;L) realization events and that 
even modest individual profits elevate network-level total volumes. Based on 
the current Ethereum trader behavior, the firm told investors they do not 
necessarily need to turn bearish, but should instead “lean cautious” while 
waiting for clearer signals. “Watch for deeper realized losses as a potential 
bottoming signal, and don&#8217;t position aggressively until the distribution phase 
shows clear signs of ending,” it concluded. Featured Image from Unsplash.com, 
Chart from TradingView.com

Ethereum TD Sequential Flashes Sell Signal – Is A New 50% Corrective Phase Starting?

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Ether has continued to lag behind Bitcoin during the latest crypto market 
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confidence across the altcoin market have kept institutional demand tilted 
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market exuberance, impacting both traditional equities and crypto assets.
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Zcash (ZEC) Rockets 1,200%—Expert Says ZEC Could Soon Outgrow Cardano (ADA)

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