The privacy coin sector is experiencing a significant shift in trader preference, with the Solana-based token $GHOST (GhostWareOS) dramatically outperforming established giants $ZEC (Zcash) and $XMR (Monero). In late January 2026, $GHOST surged over 300% from a local bottom, with a nearly 340% increase reported over one week, driven by growing interest in the Solana privacy narrative and specific project developments.
The catalyst for the recent rally was the announcement of GhostSwap, a new product set to launch the following week. The GhostWareOS team revealed plans for this cross-chain exchange module, which will enable private, unlinkable swaps by breaking the on-chain connection between deposits and withdrawals using protected liquidity pools and atomic swaps. This news propelled the $GHOST price from approximately $0.0024 to $0.0089 within hours, with the token stabilizing around $0.0078.
On-chain data from Lookonchain indicates a direct rotation of capital into $GHOST, with one trader spending $4.5K to buy 721,033 $GHOST after selling their $PENGUIN tokens. This movement highlights a trend where traders are seeking higher-potential returns in smaller-cap, newer technology stacks compared to legacy privacy coins.
In stark contrast, Zcash (ZEC) has been under significant pressure, trading around $356, down about 30% over the last 30 days and 5% over the past week. This decline continues despite ZEC reaching highs of $700 last year. Similarly, Monero (XMR) is down over 27% for the week, experiencing high volatility with a 7-day swing from about $624 down to near $459.
The analysis suggests the market is valuing integrated privacy tooling within high-performance ecosystems like Solana over standalone privacy blockchains. GhostWareOS, with its existing GhostPay product and upcoming GhostSwap, is positioned as a privacy layer that fits into existing trader workflows, reducing friction compared to Zcash's optional privacy model or Monero's default-but-isolated approach.
