Privacy crypto coins are becoming the best altcoins to buy now: What investors to know about GHOST, ZEC, XMR, DASH

Analysts say GhostwareOS could outshine ZEC, XMR, and DASH as traders rotate into smaller privacy coins.

Privacy crypto coins have quickly become leaders of the bull market. Over the past couple of months, the likes of ZEC, XMR, DASH, and increasingly GhostwareOS (GHOST) have seen massive returns compared to the broader market. Although many of these privacy coins have given up some of their gains, they remain the leading altcoins according to most analysts, and many traders are taking advantage of the recent dip to add to their positions.

While the ZEC price has returned over 1000% in the past month and both DASH and XMR have performed exceptionally well, all three are now facing profit-taking pressure as their market capitalizations have become enormous, especially ZCash, which briefly crossed the $10 billion mark.

As a result of these high valuations, many analysts expect GHOST to become the next market leader due to its smaller market cap, cutting-edge privacy technology stack, and the fact that it operates on the Solana network, currently one of the most active ecosystems in crypto.

If the rotation from the biggest names in privacy coins into smaller caps has begun, GHOST stands to become the primary beneficiary. With a market cap under $10 million, it’s well-positioned to become the best altcoin to buy now for traders seeking exposure to the booming privacy narrative.

GHOST: The top Solana altcoin to buy now

The privacy crypto market is booming. The result has been that legacy coins, many of which launched nearly 10 years ago, have become highly overvalued according to most analysts. These coins, while pioneers in the field, have outdated technology, lofty valuations, and generally don’t operate on the most popular networks. GHOST is different. It has modern technology, a clear vision for the current market, and opens the door to real privacy on Solana.

The project’s vision is rooted in restoring digital freedom and user control. Inspired by principles similar to those championed by the Freedom of the Press Foundation, the GhostwareOS team aims to create a privacy-first ecosystem that empowers users to transact, communicate, and store data without surveillance or censorship.

Some of its key features include:

• GhostPay: A next-generation private payment layer designed to anonymize transactions. According to the team, this feature is expected to roll out very soon and will allow instant, fully private transfers on Solana.
• Tx ShadowNet: A system for obfuscating transaction trails, ensuring user anonymity even across multiple wallets.
• Darkrelay Messaging: An encrypted peer-to-peer communication network allowing users to interact privately without third-party data tracking.

At a market cap of around $10 million, GHOST trades at a fraction of the valuation of legacy projects like ZEC at over $10 billion and XMR at roughly $7 billion. This vast difference gives GHOST far greater upside potential, making it one of the best altcoins to buy now.

ZCash price: Rally over?

The ZEC price has returned over 1000% in the past year, but after what appeared to be a never-ending rally, it has finally given up some of its gains. The Zcash price has tumbled from over $700 to around $470. Although this is a healthy pullback, it does signal that a new all-time high might be out of the question for a while, especially as the market capitalization still stands at around $7.8 billion.

Monero price action turns bearish

The Monero price action has generally lagged behind Zcash. Although it rallied by over 140% in 2025, it failed to produce the same gains as ZEC. This may be due to the project’s slower profile or less appealing on-chain solutions. The recent pullback has dragged the XMR price from $450 down to around $380.

DASH: Lower market capitalization could be an opportunity

The DASH price traded almost completely flat for most of 2025 at around $30. However, the privacy coin bull run resulted in a sudden surge that temporarily pushed it above $120. The recent pullback has eaten into these profits, and the DASH price is now struggling to find support around $70. With its market capitalization now below $1 billion, some traders believe it could still be a solid bet, but it remains extremely overvalued compared to GHOST.

Final thoughts: Why GHOST could be the future of privacy crypto

As the leading privacy crypto coins experience pullbacks, traders will be looking to rotate their profits into the next best altcoin to buy now, which could well be GHOST due to its privacy technology, low valuation, and popularity within the Solana community.