Bitcoin News Today: Institutional Bet on Privacy Drives ZEC to Yearly High

ZEC defied a broader cryptocurrency market selloff in late October 2025, surging 18.83% to an intraday high of $275, setting a new yearly peak despite a sharp decline in most major tokens Invezz^[5]. The rally was attributed to institutional interest, including Grayscale's launch of a Zcash Trust, which allowed accredited investors to gain exposure to ZEC without direct token ownership Bankless Times^[7]. Social media sentiment also spiked, with a 1,000% increase in weekly mindshare on platforms like X, reflecting heightened retail and institutional engagement Financial Content^[8]. ZEC's unique privacy features, enabled by zero-knowledge proofs, further distinguished it in a market increasingly focused on data privacy Financial Content^[8].

Technical analysis suggested the surge aligned with the Wyckoff Theory's markup phase, following a prolonged accumulation period between $20 and $79 since 2022 . However, indicators like the Relative Strength Index (RSI) reaching 90 and Stochastic nearing 100 signaled overbought conditions, raising concerns about a potential correction Bankless Times^[7]. Analysts noted that a retest of the $79 support level could confirm a continuation pattern, though immediate volatility remained a risk .

Bitcoin (BTC), meanwhile, stabilized near $112,000 after a weekend of sharp declines, having dropped below $120,000 amid profit-taking and dollar strength Forbes^[1]. The cryptocurrency's recent performance challenged the traditional four-year halving cycle narrative, with Arthur Hayes of Maelstrom arguing that accommodative monetary policies-such as the Federal Reserve's 25-basis-point rate cut in September 2025-would sustain the bull market Coindesk^[2]. Hayes emphasized that global liquidity expansion, including China's focus on ending deflation, supported continued BTC gains Coindesk^[2].

Despite these bullish fundamentals, bearish forecasts persisted. Analysts like Ash Crypto warned of a potential $106,000 pullback, citing historical cycles and macroeconomic risks such as U.S.-China trade tensions The Coin Republic^[3]. Bloomberg Intelligence's Mike McGlone also highlighted the possibility of a "peak bubble," with BTC potentially losing a zero if macroeconomic conditions deteriorated The Coin Republic^[3]. However, others, including Joe DiPasquale of BitBull Capital, attributed BTC's short-term decline to short-term profit-taking and weak on-chain activity rather than structural issues Forbes^[1].

The broader market context showed a rotation into altcoins, with ZEC and BNB among the standout performers. While BTC dominance dipped, ZEC's surge underscored growing institutional and retail interest in privacy-focused assets Bankless Times^[7]. This trend was part of a larger "Altcoin Autumn" narrative, with Solana and BNB leading gains due to technological advancements and deflationary tokenomics .