Deep Dive
1. Market-Wide Risk Aversion (Bearish Impact)
Overview: The total crypto market cap fell 1.7% in 24h (to $3.38T), with Bitcoin dominance climbing to 60.15% – its highest since June 2025. The Fear & Greed Index sits at 24 (“Fear”), reflecting caution amid macroeconomic uncertainty.
What this means: Investors are favoring Bitcoin over altcoins like ZEN during market stress. Privacy coins, while outperforming recently, are still considered higher-risk assets. The 24h spot volume for ZEN dropped 13.6% to $414M, signaling reduced buying momentum.
What to look out for: Bitcoin’s price action near $34,500 (key support) and Friday’s U.S. jobs report, which could sway Fed policy expectations.
2. Privacy Sector Profit-Taking (Mixed Impact)
Overview: Privacy coins surged 79.7% in 30 days (per Artemis), with ZEN up 101%. However, the sector cooled on November 4–5, with Dash (-8%) and Zcash (-5%) leading pullbacks.
What this means: ZEN’s 24h drop mirrors profit-taking in overheated privacy narratives. The sector’s 30-day rally lacked sustained institutional inflows, relying heavily on retail speculation. Futures open interest for ZEN remains elevated at $105.5M (CoinGlass), leaving room for volatility.
What to look out for: Regulatory developments – the EU’s proposed 2027 privacy-coin ban could resurface as a headwind.
3. Technical Resistance Test (Neutral Impact)
Overview: ZEN faces resistance at its pivot point ($19.79) and Fibonacci 23.6% level ($20.57). The RSI-14 (65.23) suggests bullish momentum but not yet overbought.
What this means: Traders may be selling near resistance to lock in gains from ZEN’s 168% 60-day rally. The MACD histogram (0.68) remains positive, but a close below the 7-day SMA ($17.47) could signal deeper correction.
Key level to watch: $17.96 (38.2% Fibonacci retracement) – a break below may trigger stop-losses.
Conclusion
ZEN’s dip reflects a cooling privacy narrative and broader crypto risk aversion, though its mid-term uptrend remains intact. Traders are balancing profit-taking against Horizen’s Base migration progress and DAO-led staking incentives.
Key watch: Can ZEN hold above $18.50 (psychological support) amid rising BTC dominance? Monitor the Horizen DAO’s treasury management vote (ZenIP 42411) for clues about ecosystem liquidity plans.