Privacy Coins Slide: Monero (XMR) and Zcash (ZEC) Drop 8% as Market Risks Escalate

[Para 1: The Lead] Privacy-focused cryptocurrencies, including Monero (XMR) and Zcash (ZEC), experienced significant declines, losing about 8% over the past 24 hours, according to CoinGecko data. This downturn contrasts with broader market declines that were more contained. [Para 2-3: Supporting details & Context] Monero, trading at $376 with $125 million in daily volume, has fallen nearly 20% over the past week. Similarly, Zcash, down over 26% for the week, is trading at a reduced level with $399 million in 24-hour volume. These losses follow a surge in late December and early January, with Monero peaking at $680 and Zcash at $540 before reversals. The Myriad prediction market places an 18% chance on Zcash reaching $550, highlighting market caution. The privacy coin selloff is attributed to broader risk-off positioning and privacy-specific pressures, exacerbated by regulatory risks and reduced exchange access. Privacy coins are seen as niche features, but their relevance is growing, argues Pavel Nikienkov, co-founder of Zano. The industry's approach to privacy is criticized for treating it as an expendable feature rather than core infrastructure, impacting usability and adoption.