Dash (DASH) has surged to become the leading weekly performer among the top 300 cryptocurrencies, climbing more than 100% and even outpacing Monero (XMR).

This momentum signals increased demand for privacy coins and highlights DASH’s potential to rival Monero. Accelerating merchant adoption and improved access are further helping drive this trend.

BeInCrypto Markets data showed that DASH’s value has appreciated by 102.5% over the past week. Yesterday, the altcoin reached $88.5, its highest price in nearly 2 months.

Over the past day alone, DASH has jumped by 33.2%. At the time of writing, it traded at $82.27. Furthermore, its daily trading volume has surpassed $1.3 billion, making it the highest-traded asset in the privacy coin sector, according to CoinGecko.

DASH’s rise is a part of a broader sector-wide rally. According to CryptoRank, 14 out of 18 privacy tokens with market capitalizations exceeding $100 million have delivered positive returns since January 1.

“80% of privacy tokens are up in 2026. As privacy meta continues to shine, many tokens are reaching new highs,” the post read.

Stricter know-your-customer and anti-money-laundering rules are fueling renewed interest in financial privacy, pushing privacy-focused cryptocurrencies back into the spotlight. Zcash was the sector’s standout performer in 2025, but recent concerns tied to its development team have weighed on the sentiment.

This may have triggered a rotation of capital within the privacy space, away from ZEC. DASH is also benefiting amid the broader shift, with rising adoption helping to boost sentiment and support its recent outperformance relative to Monero.

On January 13, Alchemy Pay announced that it had begun supporting fiat on-ramp access for DASH. This partnership enables users in 173 countries to purchase DASH using local fiat payments. This broad geographic reach improves accessibility and addresses one of the long-standing barriers facing privacy coins.

“By integrating DASH into its fiat on-ramp, Alchemy Pay expands access to Dash’s digital cash ecosystem and supports its use in payments, savings, and Web3 applications,” the team wrote.

Meanwhile, long-term adoption data places DASH ahead of privacy rivals. Cryptwerk’s analytics reveal 1,682 merchants now accept DASH. The altcoin ranks seventh in overall merchant adoption, boasting a 23.12% popularity rate. Monero ranks tenth, accepted by 1,225 merchants and holding a 16.84% adoption rate.

This gap in merchant acceptance highlights DASH’s practical edge. With 457 more merchants accepting DASH than Monero, adoption is roughly 37% higher for the former.

As bullish momentum continues to build, analysts remain divided on whether the rally has further room to run or if a corrective move is likely. Ardi, an analyst, noted that the privacy coin has shown “insane strength.”

“If this momentum keeps, ~$77 is the first liquidity support for a bounce. Otherwise $71–$73 becomes the likely retest area. Hold those levels and the $98–$103 pocket is next. Privacy szn,” he wrote.

Analyst Jens also views the overall trend as positive and considers any price dips as buying opportunities, with upside potential toward $100.

“After a long base around $36–40, buyers stepped in and flipped momentum bullish. Now price is testing the $85–90 resistance zone. A clean hold here can open $100+. Even a pullback to $60–65 would be healthy,” the analyst stated.

Nonetheless, some in the market remain cautious, suggesting a correction may follow.

$DASH / $USD – Update

Waiting on a dump to $53 for a bounce. WHAT A SCAM PUMP. pic.twitter.com/i1cqb6xCf0

Still, technical indicators offer possibilities, not certainties. DASH must sustain fundamentals, adoption, and overall privacy-coin sector growth to continue its rally. With technical, infrastructure, and utility momentum, Dash remains a key privacy coin to watch against rivals like Monero.

The post Dash Outpaces Monero With 100% Weekly Gain in Privacy Coin Rally appeared first on BeInCrypto.

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