Vitalik Buterin Warns Zcash as XRP Eyes 69% December Surge

TLDR

Table of Contents

Vitalik Buterin warns Zcash that token voting could weaken long-term privacy protections.
XRP has averaged a 69% gain in December across the last 12 years, per CryptoRank data.
Bitcoin’s Bollinger Bands mid-line breakout may signal a run toward $100,000.
Over 5 million ZEC is already in shielded pools, equal to 30% of total supply.

As November ends, the crypto market braces for pivotal moves. Vitalik Buterin warns the Zcash community about the risks of token-based governance threatening its core privacy values. Meanwhile, XRP enters December with a strong historical trend of 69% average returns. Bitcoin, too, is nearing a crucial Bollinger Bands breakout that could push it toward the $100,000 mark. All eyes are now on how these assets will close the month.

Zcash Governance Faces Scrutiny from Ethereum’s Buterin

Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin has raised fresh concerns over Zcash’s (ZEC) governance model, warning about the use of token-based voting. Buterin shared his views on social media, stating, “I hope Zcash resists the dark hand of token voting.” He added that privacy is vulnerable when decision-making is driven by short-term token holders.

This concern revives an earlier stance from Buterin. In 2021, he explained that coin-weighted governance could reduce security and compromise features like privacy. He warned that when governance favors short-term profit, essential values often lose priority.

His warning arrives as the Zcash community considers future governance changes. Currently, Zcash is trading between $440 and $470 after a recent drop from its $700 peak. The decline comes while debates over how Zcash should manage protocol upgrades are intensifying.

Meanwhile, the ZEC supply structure is evolving. Roughly 5 million ZEC, which represents 30% of its circulating supply, is now held in shielded pools. These pools allow users to hide transaction details while maintaining visible balances, but the long-term governance model remains a concern for developers and investors.

XRP Prepares for December with Strong Historical Pattern

As the crypto market closes November, XRP is gaining attention due to its December track record. According to data from CryptoRank, XRP has averaged a 69% return in December since 2013. This performance makes it one of the most volatile assets during the final month of the year.

November was challenging for XRP. The token dropped as much as 26% before recovering slightly to close around a 13% monthly loss. Despite the drop, historical patterns suggest December could bring a major rebound.

This year, the monthly candle closes on a Sunday. With traditional markets closed, crypto prices could be more volatile in the final hours. Analysts are watching closely to see whether XRP will follow its past trend and produce a strong rally as December begins.

A surge of over 40,000 unusual XRP transactions was also observed this weekend. While the cause is still unclear, the event has not affected XRP’s trend outlook so far.

Bitcoin Shows Potential Setup for $100,000 Target

Bitcoin’s technical chart is showing a possible breakout scenario that could take its price toward the $100,000 level. This setup is based on Bollinger Bands, which are currently tightening on the daily chart.

The key point is the mid-band. If Bitcoin can break above it during the monthly close, the market could shift quickly toward the upper band near $102,000. At the moment, Bitcoin is hovering just below this level, causing uncertainty among traders.

If Bitcoin fails to push above the mid-band soon, the chart may instead show signs of exhaustion. However, a close above this line would make the path toward six figures the dominant scenario for traders going into December.

Market Conditions at Month-End

The last Sunday of November is crucial for crypto markets. Traditional equities and forex are closed, which leaves crypto to react without outside influences. As monthly candles close, any major moves in Bitcoin, Zcash, or XRP will carry more weight.

The market is entering a phase where historical patterns, technical signals, and governance decisions are aligning to shape December’s direction. Whether these assets follow through remains to be seen in the coming days.