Privacy Coins Defy Crash, Surge 13% Amid Market-Wide Liquidations
Privacy-focused cryptocurrencies surged over the previous week, whilst Bitcoin and most altcoins tumbled, with the sector climbing 13% whereas almost $1 billion in positions had been liquidated throughout broader markets following Trump’s tariff threat on Europe over Greenland.
The rally has pushed privateness tokens, together with Monero, Dash, and DUSK, into the highlight amid widespread crypto weak spot, indicating what analysts describe as selective capital rotation relatively than conventional risk-off conduct.
Over the previous 24 hours, Bitcoin dropped nearly 3%, whereas most altcoins fell between 3% and 10%; privateness cash, nonetheless, moved in the wrong way, in line with CoinGecko data.
Dash traded at $81.61, up 1.9% on the day and 119% over the week, whereas Monero, which hit a brand new all-time high final Thursday, traded round $644, gaining 8.9% in 24 hours.
DUSK posted the steepest good points, surging 110.5% day by day and over 354% weekly, bringing the privateness coin class’s market capitalization to $21.7 billion with $2.4 billion in buying and selling quantity.
Structural Demand Replaces Stablecoins as Safe Haven
Speaking with Cryptonews, Ray Youssef, CEO of crypto app NoOnes, defined that the power in property like Monero, Dash, and DUSK displays buyers searching for to protect capital with out totally exiting crypto positions.
“Privacy cash’ outperformance throughout a broad market pullback is an indicator of selective risk-taking by buyers preferring to not totally de-risk or exit their positions within the crypto markets,” Youssef mentioned, including that whereas stablecoins historically served as the popular secure haven throughout volatility, “privateness cash now supply a compelling different by aligning with the pattern towards censorship resistance.“
The renewed curiosity comes amid ongoing debates over stablecoin rewards within the U.S. market construction invoice and escalating trade tensions, creating situations the place some market individuals anticipate continued volatility.
Trump’s Europe tariff threats erase $875 million in crypto positions as Bitcoin falls 3% to $92,000 amid geopolitical market shock.#Trump #Europe #Tariffs #Bitcoinhttps://t.co/heRs8hxlkV
— Cryptonews.com (@cryptonews) January 19, 2026
Investors are more and more searching for property that may decouple from broader market weak spot and present resilience during times of macro stress.
Youssef pointed to tightening KYC and AML necessities worldwide as key catalysts pushing customers towards protocol-embedded monetary privateness.
The mass freezing of stablecoins has accelerated this shift, most notably Tether’s freezing of over $182 million in USDT throughout 5 addresses on January 11.
From 2023 to early 2026, Tether froze over 7,000 wallets totaling roughly $3.3 billion USDT, primarily citing criminal activity.
“This raises the query of full centralized management over property beforehand thought of immutable and decentralized,” Youssef famous, arguing that “privateness cash are taking over a brand new function, turning into a type of monetary independence from company and regulatory buildings.“
Dubai’s International Financial Centre’s prohibition on privacy tokens trading attributable to AML and sanctions dangers introduced final week has didn’t interrupt the bullish pattern.
Despite these regulatory headwinds, the sector has continued to publish good points.
“Remarkably, even the ban on privateness coin buying and selling introduced final week by Dubai authorities hasn’t interrupted their bullish pattern,” Youssef noticed.
Dubai has banned privateness tokens and anonymity instruments within the DIFC to align with international AML and sanctions requirements.#Dubai #Cryptohttps://t.co/CChT7Nd4mH
— Cryptonews.com (@cryptonews) January 12, 2026
Technical Momentum Points to Further Upside
Privacy cash have outperformed large-cap property throughout a number of current market downturns, establishing divergence patterns that might cement their function in strategic portfolios.
“Privacy is as soon as once more acknowledged as basic to decentralization,” Youssef mentioned, noting that “the core use case and know-how of privateness cash stay related, particularly amid ongoing considerations about peer danger, sovereign surveillance, and the way forward for digital finance.“
With DUSK posting over 540% development in 30 days, market individuals are watching whether or not it will possibly maintain momentum and be part of established privateness leaders.
“If privateness cash’ power endures, we may see XMR at $650, Dash at $90, and DUSK at $0.28 within the coming days,” Youssef projected.
Pavel Nikienkov, founding father of Zano, additionally emphasized final week that privateness represents greater than a passing pattern.
“Privacy isn’t a passing pattern,” Nikienkov acknowledged, pointing to a16z’s 2025 State of Crypto report, which highlights sharp rises in Google search curiosity for privacy-related phrases.
He argued that mainstream blockchains like Ethereum and Solana, by integrating non-obligatory privateness layers, point out the sector’s maturation, although “solely techniques designed for confidentiality” can meaningfully defend customers in an more and more surveilled digital panorama.
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