Privacy coins Monero, Dash and Dusk defy crypto market crisis

Privacy-focused cryptocurrencies including Monero and Dash climbed despite a broader crypto market decline that liquidated nearly $1 billion in positions.

In the last 24 hours, while Bitcoin fell 2.3% and most altcoins are down 3% to 10%, Dash and Monero are up 1.9% and 8.3% respectively, while the privacy coin category is up 4% on the day and 13.1% on the week, according to CoinGecko data. Dash is trading at $81.61, up 119% over the past week. Monero, which hit a new all-time high last Thursday, is trading around $644. Privacy coin DUSK, meanwhile, has surged more than 118% in the past day and 354% in the past week.

The recent surge in privacy tokens “reflects a combination of near-term catalysts and a deeper shift in investor discourse,” said Rachel Lin, co-founder and CEO of SynFutures. Decrypt. She explained that the rally was amplified after on-chain investigator ZachXBT reported that large amounts of stolen Bitcoin and Litecoin were being converted to Monero, “which pushed volumes higher in a relatively small market and helped drive prices to new highs.”

Repositioning Privacy

Beyond short-term triggers, Lin noted a “broader reevaluation in the privacy sector,” primarily driven by “intensifying global regulations, increased on-chain surveillance and compliance requirements. The low correlation with Bitcoin is another selling point for investors, she said.

“Privacy coins tend to move countercyclically during periods of heightened uncertainty,” said Shivam Thakral, CEO of Indian crypto exchange BuyUCoin. Decrypthighlighting the continuing threat of a re-emergence of the trade war between the United States and the European Union. “Recent gains reflect defensive positioning and not speculative excesses.”

“The institutionalization of cryptography has made public blockchains more trackable, not less, creating a demand for voluntary privacy,” Thakral said, noting that this is the main reason why the privacy discourse has remained strong since 2025.

Additionally, current macroeconomic and geopolitical conditions, as well as the trend toward stronger regulatory and capital controls and data surveillance, have shifted privacy from a niche ideology to a legitimate risk management functionality, the analyst added.

Although Vitalik Buterin, the co-founder of Ethereumhas long been an advocate for privacy, its recent call for privacy and decentralization has added to the credibility of the narrative.

Users of the Myriad prediction market, owned by DecryptBitcoin’s parent company Dastan remained optimistic, assigning an 83.7% chance of Bitcoin’s next move, taking it to $100,000 from $69,000. The probability remained largely unchanged even after today’s selloff.

The exception to the rise in privacy coins was Zcash, down 6.8% on the day and 6% on the week after unrest at Electric Coin Company earlier this month. Myriad users remain divided on its prospects, placing a 51% chance its next move will take it to $550 instead of $250.