U.S. SEC Concludes Investigation on Zcash Foundation: Can ZEC Outshine Monero?

The United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has concluded its investigation into the Zcash Foundation. After two years of investigations, the SEC has provided a regulatory pathway for ZEC as a privacy-centric crypto asset.

Zcash Gains Regulatory Clarity in the U.S.

According to the announcement, the U.S. SEC informed Zcash Foundation that it does not intend to recommend any enforcement action or any other charges. As such, the Investigations, which began on August 31, 2023, have officially ended with clarity on Zcash.

“This outcome reflects our commitment to transparency and compliance with applicable regulatory requirements. Zcash Foundation remains focused on advancing privacy-preserving financial infrastructure for the public good,” Zcash Foundation stated. 

The closure of the investigations into the Zcash Foundation reflects a broader shift in crypto regulatory practices in the United States under President Donald Trump. Furthermore, the SEC has concluded several investigations into crypto projects, led by Ripple Labs, in 2025.

The upcoming Clarity Act is expected to provide further clarity on the altcoin market, thus providing a boost to Zcash.

What’s the Market Impact?

Following the announcement, the Zcash (ZEC) price has surged over 12% in the past 24 hours to trade at about $440 at press time. The mid-cap altcoin, with a fully diluted valuation of about $7.2 billion, has dropped over 8% in the past week following the slow onchain development activity in the past year.

After an impressive rally in 2025 catalyzed by the privacy narrative, ZEC has been overtaken by Monero (XMR) as the top privacy-centric altcoin. According to market data from CoinMarketCap, XMR price has surged over 76% during the past seven days to trade at about $772 at press time.

However, the regulatory clarity for the Zcash Foundation in the United States will play a crucial role in the future growth prospects of ZEC.