While the broader crypto market continues to show signs of a deepening bear market, Zcash (ZEC) is making big moves. Over the past 30 days, this privacy-focused coin has jumped about 60%, while Bitcoin (BTC) and Solana (SOL) have stayed relatively flat, each dropping by single digits over the same period. Still, Alex Cardichi, a market expert from The Motley Fool, believes that Bitcoin, Solana, and Zcash each have several potential catalysts this month that could spark a fresh rebound rally.
Bitcoin Could Aim for $100K, Solana Prepares Alpenglow
In his latest report, Cardichi starts with Bitcoin, pointing out that the United States holds around 328,000 seized coins. He references comments from White House advisor Patrick Witt on May 6, when Witt said a major update on the Strategic Bitcoin Reserve is expected “in the next few weeks.” Cardichi argues that a positive announcement—especially one with clearer details about the reserve’s status—could push Bitcoin back toward six-figure levels. Right now, the leading cryptocurrency has dropped from $82,000 last week to $76,300.
Related Reading: Zcash (ZEC) Rockets 1,200%—Expert Says ZEC Could Soon Outgrow Cardano (ADA)
Solana is next. Cardichi highlights a key technical development: the upcoming Alpenglow upgrade. If all goes as planned, the upgrade could roll out as early as the third quarter of this year. From Cardichi’s perspective, the improvements aren’t just about performance for its own sake. He suggests that if Alpenglow delivers the results Solana developers expect, it could become a practical incentive for financial institutions looking to move parts of their operations onto blockchains. In that context, he sees this year’s third quarter as a potential turning point for Solana and its native token, especially if testing confirms the upgrade’s promised impact. For now, SOL is trading at $84, down 11% over the past seven days.
Zcash After the ECC Exit
Finally, Cardichi turns to Zcash, one of the best-performing tokens in the market. He notes that in January, the entire engineering team behind Zcash’s original developer, Electric Coin Company (ECC), resigned amid an internal governance dispute. Despite that upheaval, Zcash has surged about 127% over the last three months. Instead of being a fatal blow, Cardichi argues the disruption marked the start of a new chapter.
Related Reading: XRP ‘Trade Of A Lifetime’ Is Setting Up, Says Crypto Analyst
After the engineering team left, they formed a new organization called Zodl and raised $25 million from firms like Andreessen Horowitz (a16z) and Winklevoss Capital in early March. Cardichi says the funds are meant to recruit new talent and advance Zcash’s development roadmap, and he expects more updates to come as the work progresses. At the time of writing, Zcash was trading at around $533, up nearly 1,200% year-to-date. However, Cardichi suggests that any catalyst from the new development roadmap could push the coin toward its previous all-time high of $880.
Featured image created with OpenArt, chart from TradingView.com
Frequently Asked Questions
Here is a list of FAQs about the upcoming catalysts for Zcash Bitcoin and Solana written in a natural tone with clear simple answers
BeginnerLevel Questions
1 What is a catalyst in crypto
A catalyst is an event upgrade or news announcement that can drive the price of a cryptocurrency up Think of it like a big product launch or a major partnership for a companyit gets people excited and buying
2 Why are people saying Zcash might go up before May
Zcash has a major network upgrade called NU6 scheduled for late May This upgrade will make the privacy features faster and cheaper which could attract more users and investors
3 Whats the big catalyst for Bitcoin right now
The biggest catalyst is the Bitcoin halving While the event itself is over its effectslike reduced supply of new Bitcoinsoften take weeks to fully play out which can push prices higher into May
4 Why is Solana expected to increase in price
Solana has a major conference called Solana Breakpoint happening in late May These events often feature big announcements new partnerships and product launches that generate hype and buying pressure
5 Is it guaranteed these coins will go up
No Catalysts create potential for a price increase but the market is unpredictable A catalyst can also sell the newsmeaning the price drops after the event happens because everyone already bought in anticipation
IntermediateLevel Questions
6 How is the Bitcoin halving still a catalyst if it already happened
The halving cuts the daily supply of new Bitcoin in half This supply shock takes time to ripple through the market Historically the biggest price rallies have started 25 months after a halving so the momentum often carries into late May
7 What exactly is changing with the Zcash NU6 upgrade
NU6 will lower the cost and time needed for shielded transactions It also introduces a new feature called Deployer Pays which makes it cheaper for developers to build apps on Zcash These improvements could boost usage and demand
8 What kind of announcements should I watch for at Solana Breakpoint
Look for news