A massive surge in Monero (XMR) triggered a widespread rally across the privacy crypto sector on April 28, 2025. Monero’s price skyrocketed over 40% within a day, lifting the entire privacy coin market along with it.
At the center of the privacy coin rally today was a suspicious transfer of 3,520 BTC, valued at around $330.7 million. Shortly after the transfer, the Bitcoin moved through several exchanges and was quickly converted into Monero (XMR), causing heavy buying pressure.
Right after the transaction, blockchain analysts, including @zachxbt, flagged the movement on X, bringing more attention to it. As Bitcoin shifted into Monero, the demand for XMR rose sharply, pushing the price from nearly $234 to above $329 within a few hours.
At the same time, the sharp price increase forced over $1 million worth of Monero short positions to liquidate, according to Coinglass data. These liquidations required traders to buy back Monero, adding more upward pressure on the price.
Privacy Coins Surge as Monero Rally Sparks Sector-Wide Momentum
At the same time, Monero’s sharp rally triggered strong gains across the wider privacy coin sector. Zcash (ZEC) rose by around 15% over the past 24 hours, pushing its weekly gain to nearly 19%. Similarly, MimbleWimbleCoin (MWC) posted a modest daily increase of 0.2%, while showing a strong 19.5% growth over the past week.
Dash (DASH) climbed by 11% in a day and added 12.7% on the weekly chart. Decred (DCR) also moved higher, rising by 3.2% daily and gaining 12% over the week. Other smaller privacy projects like Zano (ZANO) and Verge (XVG) followed the trend, posting impressive 50.9% and 13.8% weekly gains respectively.
Additionally, market volume across these assets spiked, suggesting renewed interest in privacy-focused cryptocurrencies. Investors appeared to shift attention toward privacy coins, encouraged by Monero’s performance and growing concerns over regulatory pressures on more transparent blockchains.
Next, Monero EP159 and EP160 Upgrades Boost Hopes for Privacy Coins
At the same time, growing anticipation around Monero’s EP159 and EP160 upgrades added to the upward pressure. These upgrades aim to make Monero more compatible with regulations by allowing users to prove that transactions are valid without revealing private information.
Meanwhile, analysts noted that the upgrades could reduce compliance risks, making it easier for Monero to return to major exchanges like Binance and Coinbase. Under Europe’s new MiCA regulatory framework, privacy coins that meet certain conditions could find broader acceptance.
As a result, investors increased their buying of Monero ahead of the expected launch of EP159 and EP160. The optimism around these changes contributed to the wider rally across the privacy coin sector.
Monero (XMR) has been forming a large ascending triangle pattern over the past eight years. This structure features a flat resistance area between $470 and $500, while support steadily rises from around $2, creating upward pressure over time.
Previously, Monero tested this resistance during the 2018 and 2021 bull cycles but failed to break above it. Each rejection led to periods of consolidation, yet the price continued to hold higher lows, reinforcing the strength of the rising support line.
Now, the chart shows Monero moving closer to the apex of the triangle. As the range tightens, the chance of a breakout increases. If XMR moves above the $470-$500 resistance zone with strong momentum, technical projections suggest a possible price target between $900 and $1,000, based on the measured height of the pattern.
In short, Monero’s multi-year pattern now approaches a critical point that could define its long-term trend direction.
