Dash has integrated Zcash’s Orchard shielded pool into the Dash Evolution chain, a secondary smart contract-enabled layer, with the upgrade expected to go live in March following cybersecurity audits.
Initially, the integration will allow basic ZEC transfers on the Evolution chain, with later upgrades set to introduce Orchard’s privacy features for tokenised real-world assets (RWAs).
DASH surged more than 125% in January and briefly reached about $96 on Binance before retracing to around $34, reflecting strong volatility amid renewed interest in privacy-focused protocols.
Privacy blockchain tokens gained momentum in 2025 and early 2026 as proponents framed them as a response to growing financial surveillance by governments and corporations.
Changpeng Zhao said that lack of privacy may be the “missing link” for crypto payment adoption, arguing businesses need confidentiality around salaries, suppliers and trade relationships.
Critics including Saifedean Ammous contend that anonymity can still be pierced through forensic analysis, while regulators such as the Dubai Financial Services Authority have banned exchanges from selling privacy tokens like Monero and ZEC to new users, underscoring regulatory tensions.
At the time of reporting, Dash price was $34.12.