Dash Integrates Zcash Privacy Pool As the Privacy Narrative Heats Up

Dash, a layer-1 blockchain protocol with privacy-preserving features, announced on Thursday the integration of Zcash’s “Orchard” shielded pool into the Dash Evolution chain, a secondary layer on the L1 network that supports smart contract functionality.

The integration will go live following the completion of cybersecurity audits and is expected to launch in March, according to an announcement shared with Cointelegraph.

Initially, the integration will support basic transfers of Zcash (ZEC) from one party to another on the Evolution chain, with subsequent upgrades adding Orchard’s privacy features for tokenized real-world assets (RWAs), the announcement said.

The price of the DASH (DASH), the native token of the network, surged by over 125% in January. Dash briefly reached a local high of about $96 on the Binance crypto exchange before retracing to current levels.

Onchain privacy protocols and privacy blockchain tokens gained significant momentum in 2025 and early 2026, with proponents of the technology framing it as a response to increased financial surveillance from governments and corporations.

Related: Starknet taps EY Nightfall to bring institutional privacy to Ethereum rails

Lack of privacy is holding back crypto payments, while the tech comes under fire

“Lack of Privacy may be the missing link for crypto payments adoption,” according to Changpeng Zhao (CZ), the co-founder of the Binance cryptocurrency exchange.

Businesses will not adopt blockchain technology unless privacy-preserving tools can shield payments, which contain sensitive information about employee compensation, CZ said.