Breaking: Zcash Price Crashes 20% as Core Developer Team Resigns

Zcash price plunged over 20% after the entire core development team resigned, wiping $1.6B from ZEC’s market cap.

Rudy Fares

Rudy Fares

zcash crash
Categories: Zcash

Zcash Price Today: ZEC Suffers Sharp Sell-Off

Zcash ($ZEC) is under heavy selling pressure after shocking news hit the market. The privacy-focused cryptocurrency crashed by around 21% in the past 24 hours, erasing approximately $1.6 billion from its market capitalisation.

ZECUSD_2026-01-08_23-18-13.png

ZEC price in USD - TradingView

The sell-off comes as the broader crypto market is already turning bearish, amplifying downside moves across altcoins — with ZEC among the hardest hit.

Why did ZCash Crash? 

The sudden crash followed confirmation that the entire Zcash core development team has resigned simultaneously.

Electric Coin Company (ECC), one of the main firms responsible for developing Zcash, announced that its full team stepped down after a governance dispute with Bootstrap, a nonprofit entity created to support the Zcash network.

This internal conflict raised serious concerns among investors about:

  • The future development of the protocol
  • Governance stability
  • Long-term innovation and maintenance

Markets reacted immediately, pricing in uncertainty and execution risk.

ZEC Chart Analysis: Panic Selling Breaks Key Levels

Looking at the ZEC/USD chart, the price action clearly reflects panic-driven selling.

ZECUSD_2026-01-08_23-35-29.png

ZEC/USD 4H - TradingView

ZEC was already trending lower before the news, but the resignation announcement triggered a near-vertical sell-off, pushing price sharply below previous support zones.

Key observations from the chart:

  • Strong breakdown from the $480–$500 area
  • Rapid move toward the $385 zone
  • Brief rebound attempt, followed by weak consolidation

This type of price action typically signals capitulation, especially when paired with negative fundamental news.

Bearish Market Conditions Add Fuel to the Drop

The timing of the news made the move even more aggressive. Crypto markets are currently under pressure, with risk appetite fading and traders rotating out of altcoins.

In a bearish environment:

  • Bad news gets punished harder
  • Liquidity dries up quickly
  • Recovery attempts tend to be short-lived

ZEC’s drop reflects both project-specific risk and broader market weakness.

What’s Next for Zcash?

In the short term, ZEC remains highly volatile. Any meaningful recovery would likely require:

  • Clear communication on governance and development continuity
  • Reassurance that protocol upgrades will continue
  • Stabilisation across the wider crypto market

Until then, ZEC may continue trading under pressure, with rallies facing strong selling interest.

Rudy Fares
Article By

Rudy Fares

Equity Trader, Financial Consultant, Musician and Blockchain Aficionado. I spend my time doing Technical and Fundamental Analyses for Stocks, Currencies, Commodities and Cryptocurrencies.

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