Cryptocurrency analytics firm Santiment has revealed the top privacy-focused altcoins by developer activity, with Chainlink (LINK) leading the rankings by a significant margin. According to GitHub data from the past 30 days, LINK scored 255.67, followed by Dash (DASH) at 55 and Nym (NYM) at 41.6. The rest of the top ten includes HOPR, Zcash (ZEC), Dusk (DUSK), Firo (FIRO), Decred (DCR), Beldex (BDX), and Monero (XMR).
In a major development for privacy technology, Dash has announced the integration of Zcash's Orchard shielded pool technology into its Evolution sidechain. The Evolution chain, launched in 2024 for developer applications, previously lacked the privacy features of Dash's main chain, which uses CoinJoin via PrivateSend. This integration will introduce secure, confidential transactions using zero-knowledge proofs, addressing concerns from Dash's core privacy-focused user base.
The Dash team stated that shielded transfers are expected to launch soon, pending security audits. Following this, work will begin on shielded tokens, which will function similarly to Zcash's Shielded Assets but with wider functionality and separate shielded pools. The team emphasized a commitment to upholding confidentiality in an era of increasing regulatory pressure on privacy coins, noting the need for broad wallet and service support.
This collaboration comes as privacy projects face challenges. Over 70 exchanges delisted Monero last year due to regulatory compliance, though its usage reportedly remained resilient. Zcash itself is grappling with internal disputes over governance and funding among its key entities: the Electric Coin Company, Bootstrap, and the Zcash Foundation.
