Bitcoin and Ethereum were barely moving while privacy-focused cryptocurrencies Zcash and Monero stood out among the largest digital assets, according to Decrypt. The divergence came as broader crypto trading remained subdued against a backdrop of uncertain interest-rate expectations and weaker-than-expected US employment data.
Privacy coins outperform a quiet market
Bitcoin was trading at $86,264.06, up 0.59% over 24 hours, while Ethereum rose only 0.34% to $2,714.39. The total cryptocurrency market was valued at just above $3 trillion and was broadly flat, based on CoinGecko data cited in the report.
The performance of other major tokens was similarly restrained. Solana gained 1.4% and XRP increased 1.07%, while BNB slipped 0.41% and Tron fell 0.22%.
Zcash, one of the best-known privacy coins, was the standout performer, rising about 3% during the period covered. Monero gained 2.14% to $562.32. Privacy coins are designed to provide greater transaction confidentiality than many conventional cryptocurrencies, although their prices can still be influenced by the same market-wide factors affecting other digital assets.
Zcash had risen 2.62% on Binance from the opening of the daily trading candle, suggesting that its move was still developing. Monero’s advance followed a rise that began the previous day and continued through the latest 24-hour period.
Interest rates keep the wider market subdued
The broader market’s lack of direction followed two important US macroeconomic developments. The Federal Reserve raised its policy rate to a range of 3.75% to 4.00% on Sept. 16, its first rate increase since July 2023.
The next major signal was the September payrolls report, which showed 29,000 new jobs compared with economists’ expectation of 84,000. The unemployment rate also increased to 4.2%.
The weaker jobs figure reduced the probability of another rate increase in October to about 22% immediately after the report, according to CME FedWatch. A lower chance of additional tightening can support risk assets, including cryptocurrencies, but the recent rate increase points in the opposite direction. Together, those factors have left investors with little reason to push the wider market decisively in either direction.
Bitcoin nevertheless retained some technical momentum. Its 100-day exponential moving average moved above its 200-day average, creating what traders call a golden cross. Bitcoin remained below resistance at $87,354, however, and the latest move was described as a pause after a sustained advance rather than a fresh breakout.
Zcash’s rally remains large despite its pullback
Zcash’s daily gain does not by itself establish that its recent decline has ended. The token remained about 19% below its late-September high of $1,698. It fell as low as $1,333.50 on Oct. 1, the same period in which Grayscale’s Zcash exchange-traded fund recorded $30.25 million in outflows.
Despite that withdrawal, the fund had accumulated approximately $268 million in net inflows since its launch on Aug. 25. Over the previous 12 months, Zcash had gained about 2,500%, making the recent decline relatively modest compared with its longer-term advance.
The latest major leg higher took Zcash from a base of $480.72 to the late-September high, a 253% increase. Two developments accompanied that move: the launch of Grayscale’s ETF and a Sept. 17 vote in which coinholders supported continuing Bitcoin-style halvings by 98.9%. Halvings reduce the pace at which new coins enter circulation.
Zcash had also previously fallen 38% during an Ironwood counterfeiting scare before recovering to above $1,600. Against that history, the current pullback from the September peak was described as relatively limited.
Monero remains below its September peak
Monero was trading around 11% below its September high of $632.86. Its market capitalization stood at $10.57 billion, less than half of Zcash’s $23.18 billion.
The available daily-chart levels pointed to consolidation rather than a confirmed breakout in both privacy coins. Zcash was priced at $1,372.69 and remained below resistance at $1,403.89, while the next lower marker was $1,221.93. Monero was moving more narrowly after trading sideways since late September, even as a faster momentum measure showed it in overbought territory.
The levels identified in the report were $87,354 for Bitcoin, $1,403.89 for Zcash and $558.69 as a level Monero needed to hold above. These are market reference points, not forecasts.
Moneyiar market picture
Moneyiar data at 10:29 on Oct. 7, 2026, showed a weaker market than the 24-hour snapshot in the report. Bitcoin was at $83,878.55, down 2.55% over 24 hours but up 0.14% over seven days. Ethereum stood at $2,587.62, down 4.67% in 24 hours and 3.87% over the week.
Among the other assets tracked by Moneyiar, Shiba Inu traded at $0.0000055009, down 6.49% over 24 hours and 5.27% over seven days. Uniswap was at $8.05, falling 9.63% over 24 hours and 8.73% over seven days.
