Monero accounts for 68% of dark web transactions in 2026

Dash: Dash is a cryptocurrency focused on payments that incorporates optional privacy mixing through its masternode network to obscure transaction origins and destinations. It provides a privacy feature layered on top of its core payment functionality rather than making it mandatory or the primary design goal. The news includes Dash among the prominent privacy coins alongside Monero and Zcash, noting its distinct approach to transaction shuffling. Zcash: Zcash is a privacy coin that uses zero-knowledge proofs through zk-SNARKs to enable optional shielded transactions that hide sender, recipient, and amount information. It supports both transparent addresses similar to Bitcoin and shielded addresses within an encrypted pool, allowing users and institutions to choose their level of privacy. The news highlights Zcash's recent critical vulnerability in the Orchard shielded pool, which prompted an emergency network upgrade, as well as its competitive market position against Monero. Monero: Monero is a privacy-focused cryptocurrency that applies ring signatures, stealth addresses, and Ring Confidential Transactions by default to every transaction, concealing sender, recipient, and amount details without any opt-out option. It functions as a standalone digital currency optimized for private payments rather than smart contracts or broader ecosystems. In the news, Monero is positioned as the leading privacy coin for dark web activity, having largely displaced Bitcoin on darknet markets amid growing blockchain analytics capabilities. Taylor Hornby: Taylor Hornby is a security researcher affiliated with Shielded Labs who identified a critical under-constrained element in Zcash's Orchard shielded pool circuit. His discovery, which enabled a working exploit in testing, led to temporary suspension of Orchard transactions and a subsequent patch via emergency upgrade. The news uses this incident to illustrate ongoing security scrutiny and technical risks in advanced privacy implementations. Dark Web Role: Monero has emerged as the dominant currency for dark web transactions after displacing Bitcoin, driven by the increasing traceability of transparent blockchains. Privacy Design: Monero enforces privacy on every transaction by default through mandatory cryptographic tools, while Zcash offers optional shielded privacy that many users do not fully adopt. Security Response: Zcash developers addressed a discovered vulnerability in its Orchard pool through an emergency upgrade process involving temporary suspension and patching of transactions.