If you’re a Monero holder, this week was good to you, and for our sisters
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we offer our condolences. Now the real question is: 1k EOW? Or, which of these privacy coins hits 1k first?
Monero just did something it has not done since the last crypto supercycle. XMR printed a fresh all-time high near $643, as of publication, decisively clearing its 2018 peak and leaving all other privacy coins behind. Over the same seven-day window, Zcash is down roughly 18%.
For years, Monero lived in exile. Exchange delistings, regulatory pressure, and lazy narratives kept it sidelined while flashier Layer 2s and meme coins soaked up attention.
That phase appears to be ending. Here’s what’s next for XMR and a brand new presale that may pump alongside it.
DISCOVER: 20+ Next Crypto to Explode in 2026
Will Monero Hit $1k First? Why Privacy Is in Demand
The renewed bid under Monero is not hard to explain. Financial surveillance has gone from abstract concern to lived reality. Aggressive KYC rules, wallet monitoring, and high-profile prosecutions have forced investors to think seriously about on-chain privacy again.
Former Monero maintainer Riccardo Spagni summed it up simply:
“There’s a global shift towards a recognition that privacy is instrumental and critical to us as individuals and as a civilization.”
Monero is the only major crypto whose founder is still completely unknown.
How it started:
– be an anonymous poster on Bitcointalk
– username: thankful_for_today
– April 2014
– launches BitMonero
– an implementation of CryptoNote
– community disagrees with his direction
– forks… pic.twitter.com/04gIHUmYYJ— StarPlatinum (@StarPlatinum_) January 12, 2026
Others echo that sentiment from the ground level: “The average person needs to take their privacy seriously sooner rather than later,” said Seth, VP of operations at Cake Wallet, speaking anonymously.
Wrench attacks, leaked wallet data, and public blockchain forensics have added a physical risk layer that did not exist in prior cycles.
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The Newfound Data Behind Monero’s Momentum
CoinGecko data shows XMR is up roughly 33% year to date, on top of a 124% rally last year. Trading volumes have expanded alongside price, not after it, a key sign of organic demand rather than a squeeze.
Glassnode balance metrics also point to tightening supply. Monero’s default privacy makes exact flows harder to track, but spot market liquidity has visibly thinned as price pushed higher. That is classic late-accumulation behavior.
One of the few risks here for us is wondering if Monero could become a fully speculative asset controlled by whales? Kind of like what Bitcoin has become lately.
The theory goes: if Monero keeps “pamping nicely” like it’s doing, it’s actually bad for the purpose of being a real currency made to be spent, like Monero bros claim.
Something to keep in mind. Moreover, none of this erases Monero’s regulatory problems. The EU is moving toward exchange bans by 2027, and Dubai has already prohibited privacy tokens. Monero will never be institutionally “clean,” but that may be the point.
DISCOVER: Next 1000X Crypto: 10+ Crypto Tokens That Can Hit 1000x in 2026
Is New Meme Coin Bitcoin Hyper the Next Big Thing After XMR?
We get it, privacy is the big narrative of 2026 but Bitcoin Hyper is starting to surface as a serious 2026 trade as well. Built on an SVM-based scaling layer that bolts fast smart contracts onto
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without touching its security model.
Development has accelerated into 2026, and market rumors are tightening around the Q1 launch window.
The upshot for HYPER is that by lowering fees and improving scalability, it opens the door to broader participation, including meme coin trading and more flexible payments. Its presale has already topped $30.4 Mn, indicating strong early demand.
By opening Bitcoin to DeFi, gaming, and tokenized real-world assets, HYPER broadens use cases and trims the circulating supply, two factors that can favor price.
Bitcoin Hyper is closing in on $35 Mn raised, with less than a day to go before its $0.013575 token round ends. If risk on return crypto presales like Bitcoin Hyper are looking to lead the way.
Visit Bitcoin HyperJoin the Utility Wave with BTC Hyper Now
EXPLORE: King of The Decade? Analyst says Bitcoin Price Returns Will Beat Gold and Silver
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Key Takeaways
- If you’re a Monero holder, this week was good to you, and for our Zcash sisters we offer our condolences. Now the real question is: 1k EOW?
- By opening Bitcoin to DeFi, gaming, and tokenized real-world assets, Bitcoin HYPER is broadening use cases for BTC.
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