Zcash jumps 59% as "quantum-resistant" trade accelerates

Zcash (ZEC) rallied 59%, extending its weekly gain to 58% and lifting the token to $374. The move sharply outpaced Bitcoin as traders repositioned into assets seen as better insulated from potential advances in quantum computing. Interest followed renewed attention on Google's quantum computing research, which highlighted long-term risks to the elliptic-curve cryptography used by Bitcoin and Ethereum. Zcash is not built on the ECDSA signature scheme cited in that discussion, relying instead on zero-knowledge proof systems viewed as outside the specific vulnerability. The quantum-themed momentum adds to several supportive catalysts already in play: Grayscale's first privacy-coin ETF filing, the SEC's decision to close its Zcash investigation without action in January, and Zcash's shielded pool reaching a record $5.18B. Analyst Ali Martinez cited $440 as the next upside target.