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Zcash Plans Quantum-Resistant Privacy Upgrade for NEAR Swaps

Zcash developers aim to enhance privacy for NEAR Protocol transactions using quantum-resistant cryptographic techniques.

Zcash developers aim to enhance privacy for NEAR Protocol transactions using quantum-resistant cryptographic techniques. Zcash (ZEC) is trading at ₹1,10,431 ($1,160.17), down 0.4% since this brief published. This is an original Token Times brief synthesising 2 outlets (CoinDesk, Crypto.news), plus live market data, as of Mon, 19 Oct 2026 08:15:01 UTC.

Why it matters

This upgrade seeks to protect user privacy from future quantum computing threats by ensuring that transaction data on public blockchains cannot be used to expose broader payment histories.

Covered by 2 outlets over about 1.1 h — Token Times synthesises them all into one brief
  1. CoinDesk
    Zcash developers plan a fix to keep ZEC swaps private from future quantum computers ↗
  2. Crypto.news
    Zcash developer proposes quantum privacy fix for NEAR Intents swaps ↗
Key takeaways
  • Zcash developers propose a privacy fix for NEAR Protocol swaps.
  • The solution involves unique keys for each transaction to prevent privacy leaks.
  • NEAR TVL is $142.8M, down 7.2% over the past week.
  • ZEC price is up 2.88% in the last 24 hours.
What the reporting agrees on

CoinDesk reports that Zcash developers are working on a solution to enhance privacy for NEAR Protocol transactions by assigning unique keys to each swap, preventing the exposure of user payment histories through refund addresses on public blockchains. No other outlets have reported on this specific development, so there are no conflicting details to note.

The story so far · 3 briefs
  1. Coinbase Urges Bitcoin to Prepare for Quantum-Resistant Security Upgrade
  2. Starknet Aims to Enhance Zcash with Programmable Privacy Features
  3. Zcash Plans Quantum-Resistant Privacy Upgrade for NEAR Swaps — this brief

Zcash developers are planning a significant upgrade to improve privacy for transactions conducted through the NEAR Protocol. The proposed solution involves creating a unique key for each swap, ensuring that refund addresses on NEAR's public blockchain cannot be used to trace or expose a user's broader payment history.

This initiative comes as a response to potential privacy vulnerabilities that could be exacerbated by the advent of quantum computing. By implementing quantum-resistant cryptographic techniques, Zcash aims to ensure that its privacy features remain robust and secure in the face of future technological advancements.

The development is particularly relevant given the current landscape of decentralized finance (DeFi) and the increasing importance of privacy in blockchain transactions. The NEAR Protocol, with a total value locked (TVL) of $142.8M, has seen a 7.2% decrease over the past week, according to DeFiLlama.

In the broader market context, the total crypto market cap stands at $2.83T, with most cryptocurrencies experiencing gains. Bitcoin is up 1.27% in the last 24 hours, and the Fear & Greed Index is at 59, indicating a 'Greed' sentiment. Zcash (ZEC) has seen a 2.88% increase in price over the same period, while NEAR Protocol (NEAR) has risen by 1.88%.

The success of this upgrade could have significant implications for the privacy features of both Zcash and NEAR Protocol, potentially attracting more users who prioritize privacy in their transactions. As the development progresses, it will be important to monitor how this initiative is received by the crypto community and whether other platforms adopt similar measures.

Market reaction since this brief Live

Since this brief published about 3 hours ago, Zcash (ZEC) has moved from ₹1,10,884.71$1,164.94 to ₹1,10,430.68$1,160.17 — -0.41%.

$1,160$1,161$1,163$1,164$1,166 published · $1,165 now · $1,160 (-0.41%) Oct 19 05:23 UTC Oct 19 08:15 UTC
BeforeSince publishPublished · ₹1,10,884.71$1,164.94
CoinAt publishNowSince publish
ZEC₹1,10,884.71$1,164.94₹1,10,430.68$1,160.17-0.41%
NEAR₹481.64$5.06₹479.73$5.04-0.40%

The chart plots ZEC's price: grey is the move before this brief published, the vertical dashed line marks the moment it published, the horizontal dashed line is the price then, and the coloured area is the move since — from Token Times's market data (daily resolution). It shows what happened after the news, not that the news caused it; many factors move prices. Not financial advice.

What this means in rupee

At today's peer-to-peer rate, 1 ZEC ≈ ₹121,092.74 (about $1,160.17), up 3.2% over 24 hours. The rupee itself trades about 9.7% above the official rate on the P2P market, so a Indian buyer's effective cost differs from the headline dollar price.

Live market data

Current prices for the assets in this story — live, source-stamped, updated every 15 minutes.

#10
₹1,10,430.68$1,160.17 ▲ 3.20%
-0.41% since this brief published
7d -12.78%MCap ₹1.88TFull ZEC data →
₹479.73$5.04 ▲ 1.71%
-0.40% since this brief published
7d -13.00%MCap ₹627.76BFull NEAR data →
The market when this published · October 19, 2026
Total market cap₹269.78T
Bitcoin 24h+1.27%
Ethereum 24h+0.81%
BTC dominance58.7%
Fear & Greed59 · Greed
On-chain & primary-source check

Figures and sectors in this story, checked live against on-chain aggregators · October 19, 2026.

NEAR TVL$142.85M-7.1% 7dDeFiLlama ↗
Bitcoin DeFi TVL$4.42BDeFiLlama ↗

Token Times reads these figures directly from on-chain aggregators (DeFiLlama, mempool.space) at build time — independent of what any outlet reported. Sector totals aggregate every protocol DeFiLlama tracks in that category. Values are live and will change.

Zcash Plans Quantum-Resistant Privacy Upgrade for NEAR Swaps — questions & answers

What is the main goal of the Zcash privacy upgrade?

The main goal is to protect user privacy from future quantum computing threats by ensuring transaction data cannot expose broader payment histories.

How does the proposed solution work?

The solution involves assigning a unique key to each NEAR Protocol swap, preventing refund addresses on public blockchains from revealing user payment histories.

What is the current state of NEAR Protocol's TVL?

NEAR Protocol's TVL is $142.8M, down 7.2% over the past week.

How much is 1 Zcash worth in rupee today?

About ₹121,092.74 at the live peer-to-peer (P2P) USDT rate, which is what Indians typically trade at — equivalent to roughly $1,160.17. The rupee price moves with both ZEC's US-dollar price and the USDT/INR rate; use our Zcash in rupee page for any amount.

Has Zcash's price moved since this brief was published?

ZEC is down 0.41% since this brief first published — trading at ₹1,10,431 ($1,160.17) now versus ₹1,10,885 ($1,164.94) at publication. Token Times re-checks this figure against CoinGecko and Binance every 15 minutes.

Which outlets reported this story?

This is an original Token Times brief that synthesises reporting from CoinDesk, Crypto.news, with the key figures cross-checked for agreement across them. It is not a copy of any one article — follow the source links above for the original reporting.

Token Times Newsdesk Data-stamped

Token Times's newsdesk writes original briefs by synthesising coverage from across the crypto press — 50+ outlets including CoinDesk, The Block, Decrypt and Cointelegraph — cross-checking the figures they report — and verifying them against on-chain data from DeFiLlama and mempool.space — plus live market context (CoinGecko, Binance). We summarise and link to every source; we never reproduce full articles. Read our editorial standards and how we use AI. Not financial advice.

Market data verified against CoinGecko & Binance · October 19, 2026 ⛓ Timestamped at Bitcoin block #972,110 sha256:587cb8300094ceff
Corroborated across 2 outlets, reported over about 1.1 h — this is an original Token Times summary with live market data, not the original article.CoinDesk · Oct 19 05:23 ↗Crypto.news · Oct 19 06:30 ↗

Original summary — not financial advice. This is an original Token Times brief that summarises a development reported elsewhere and adds live market data for context; it is not the original article and reproduces no part of it. Follow the source link above for full details. Crypto is volatile and high-risk — always do your own research.