Building the ZEC Thesis in 2026

David Hoffman argues ZEC is building genuine momentum as Bitcoin becomes institutionalized and loses its cypherpunk edge. Privacy is ZEC's monopoly—unlike Monero's regulatory liabilities, ZEC's hybrid "compliant-privacy" model positions it for Grayscale ETFs and Wall Street adoption while wealth taxes and capital controls create tailwinds. ZEC's shielded addresses also offer quantum resistance Bitcoin lacks, with quantum-recoverable wallets shipping soon and full post-quantum architecture targeted within 12–18 months, creating asymmetric upside as traders eye the "10% of Bitcoin" meme target of $160B market cap.