Zcash co-founder Eli Ben-Sasson reaffirmed his forecast that ZEC could reach $5,000 by the end of 2026, even as he said he did not know the exact reason for the latest rally. ZEC was trading near $1,535 after rising about 102% over the past month and moving beyond earlier targets. An earlier market snapshot put the token at $1,547, up around 1% in 24 hours, after it reached $1,621. Ben-Sasson’s previous forecast that ZEC would exceed $1,200 by September 25 was followed by a move above $1,600 before the token gave back part of its gains. Grayscale’s Zcash ETF, ZCSH, reportedly surpassed $1 billion in assets under management after about one month. The $5,000 figure remains Ben-Sasson’s personal forecast rather than a guaranteed price outcome.