Zcash (ZEC) Needs 2,600% to Pass XRP: 'Easy,' Says Top Solana Developer
A claim that would have sounded like a joke in 2024 is now making the rounds as serious market chatter in late 2025: the CEO of Solana infrastructure outfit Helius, known online as just Mert, made the rounds recently with a prediction that Zcash will "flip" XRP.
Adding to the narrative, in his opinion, it is not just a price call but a "moral duty" to push privacy coins ahead of the token associated with Ripple in the crypto hierarchy.
On X, Mert framed it in almost generational terms: "Do you want your children growing up in a world where XRP still sits in the top three, above privacy-first assets?" Ironically meant or not, he does not.
ez
— mert | helius.dev (@0xMert_) October 29, 2025
The post drew tens of thousands of views overnight, sparking debate not just about XRP’s position but about the role of privacy in a regulatory climate that is getting more suffocating by the month all over the world, from India to the U.K.
Math behind XRP vs. ZEC
Behind the Zcash vs. XRP talk are concrete numbers: XRP today trades at $2.54 with a market cap of $152.8 billion, while ZEC changes hands at $359, its capitalization barely scratching $5.8 billion.
A simple “what if” tool shows ZEC at nearly $9,500 if it absorbed XRP’s valuation, a 2,600% gap that puts Mert’s bold talk into perspective.
Critics point out XRP’s established liquidity, institutional adoption and presence on exchanges. Supporters counter that narratives change quickly, and privacy tokens could become the next political commodity if governments overreach with surveillance and CBDC.
Whether this is satire, provocation or foresight, the statement highlights a potential divide in the future of crypto: compliance versus resistance tokens. The scoreboard is clear right now: XRP is number 5, and ZEC is number 23.
Disclaimer: The content of this article solely reflects the author's opinion and does not represent the platform in any capacity. This article is not intended to serve as a reference for making investment decisions.
You may also like
The AI boom may follow the path of the 19th-century railway bubble, and builders may not be the ultimate winners
Goldman Sachs analyst Bobby Molavi compared the current situation to the 19th-century British railway mania: 500 companies spent more than the nation's annual income building 8,000 miles of railway, with most early investors losing out, while the real beneficiaries were the later "passengers." He pointed out that the current AI craze is driven by both debt and momentum, and that the S&P 500’s forward P/E ratio of 18x is only "a bit cheaper." Whether the builders can retain value is uncertain, and history does not offer an optimistic answer.
If Anthropic's IPO goes smoothly and the stock price rises next week, then everything remains the same for AI. Otherwise, some companies will go bankrupt.
The shrinking valuations of two major giants have triggered a chain reaction—investors are adopting more conservative revenue multiples for AI startups and are directly halting high-valuation financing for companies with zero revenue. Multiple venture capital firms have advised their portfolio companies to lower valuation expectations and to quickly build up cash reserves. Market participants warn that the outcome of Anthropic’s IPO will be a barometer for the industry: if successful, the boom will continue; if it fails, some companies may face elimination.
After the Brazilian election, political discount deepens; Morgan Stanley remains bullish on Petrobras (PBR.US), focusing on fuel pricing and dividends
Morgan Stanley still maintains its most optimistic "Overweight" rating, but has lowered its year-end 2027 target price from $31 to $25.
Corning (GLW.US) receives initial "Buy" rating from Jefferies! AI factories driving a fiber optic rush, with a potential global supply gap of up to 30%
For Corning, the recent profit growth mainly comes from the expansion of AI clusters. As the number of optical links crossing cabinets and campuses increases, customers need to deploy more optical fibers within limited conduit and cabinet space, thus driving demand for high-density optical cables and connection systems.
Crypto prices
More
