“Not a Crime Coin” Privacy Coin Surges 820% and Expands Into Payment Infrastructure

▲ Zcash (ZEC), Monero (XMR), Privacy Coins / ChatGPT-generated image

Privacy coins have achieved returns of up to 820%, successfully transforming beyond simple anonymity tools into practical payment infrastructure.

According to cryptocurrency media outlet CoinGape on February 26 (local time), privacy coins such as Zcash (ZEC) have recently posted explosive gains, emerging as new mainstream payment methods in the digital asset market. Throughout 2025, Zcash recorded gains ranging from at least 600% to as high as 820%, while Monero surged 130%, drawing significant market attention. Once dismissed as speculative assets, privacy coins are now gaining recognition from institutional investors and evolving into practical payment rails.

The growth of privacy coins is closely tied to shifting institutional perceptions. Grayscale, the world’s largest digital asset manager, recently intensified its research and investment in privacy assets, including adding Beldex (BDX) to its top 20 holdings in the fourth quarter. This institutional validation demonstrates that privacy coins are no longer merely tools for illicit transactions but are becoming essential components of modern financial infrastructure where data protection is critical.

Real-world adoption cases are also increasing rapidly. Following the DashSpend upgrade, Dash achieved a 30% increase in merchant integration across Latin America and Africa. Meanwhile, Beldex has begun functioning as a payment option on global e-commerce platforms such as WooCommerce and Shopify through integration with BTCPayServer. As environments are established where users can securely purchase goods while maintaining transaction confidentiality, privacy coins have moved beyond serving solely as stores of value to becoming widely accepted mediums of exchange.

The privacy coin ecosystem is expanding beyond payments into a comprehensive technology stack. In Beldex’s case, it has built an infrastructure that comprehensively protects user privacy through BChat, a decentralized messaging layer; BelNet, a virtual private network layer; and a dedicated browser equipped with ad-blocking features. This multi-layered approach strengthens on-chain utility, increases network activity, and serves as a powerful driver supporting the intrinsic value of the token.

With technological sophistication and practical use cases as a foundation, privacy coins are presenting a new standard in the digital asset market. Institutional capital inflows and the expansion of payment infrastructure provide a basis for their long-term growth trajectory. Market participants should pay close attention to the value of data sovereignty offered by privacy coins and their expansion potential in the global payments market as they respond to the shifting paradigm of digital finance.

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