Privacy coins retreat as Bitcoin drops 2.3% and EU DAC8 deadline looms in January 2026

On January 19, 2026, major privacy-focused cryptocurrencies fell in tandem with Bitcoin's 2.3% 24-hour decline, with several leading tokens posting steeper losses. Monero, Zcash, Litecoin, Dash and Starknet all traded lower despite some smaller projects such as ARPA and Dusk recording double-digit hourly and daily gains. The moves came as new rules like the EU's DAC8 directive and Dubai's updated crypto framework added regulatory pressure to the sector.