Zcash price fell to a three-month low on Thursday as key metrics that supported the token declined. The privacy token now risks a drop towards $200 as it approaches a breakdown from a key ascending trendline that had been serving as critical support.

According to data from crypto.news, Zcash (ZEC) price fell for the eighth consecutive day, dropping nearly 40% in the period. Trading at $243 at press time, the token’s price is down 53% over the past month and nearly 65% from its November high of around $699.

There are three key reasons why Zcash price fell this week.

First, Zcash was caught in a broader crypto risk-off phase where Bitcoin (BTC), the bellwether asset, fell towards the $70,000 psychological support, triggering over $1.6 billion in liquidations across the market. ZEC underperformed during this sell-off in tandem with the majority of the top privacy coins, such as Monero (XMR), Dash (DASH), and Horizen (ZEN), which witnessed double-digit losses over the weekly period as the hype around privacy solutions faded.

Second, investor confidence in Zcash remains fragile following the mass resignation of the Electric Coin Company’s core development team in early January. While the development team has affirmed its commitment to continue supporting Zcash, the sudden change has created an overhang of uncertainty regarding the protocol’s future roadmap.

Third, ongoing global scrutiny of privacy coins, including proposed bans in certain jurisdictions like Russia and intensified AML checks in India, continues to weigh on investor sentiment for assets like ZEC and Monero. 

The latest crackdown comes from Dubai’s financial regulator, which recently banned the use of Zcash on all licensed crypto exchanges and financial institutions operating within the Dubai International Financial Centre.

Zcash price analysis

On the daily chart, the Zcash price is close to a breakdown from a descending trendline that has been serving as a key support level and where bulls have often stepped in to defend the price. 

A drop below this level would mean sellers have seized control of the market while bulls are showing signs of exhaustion. This could put the privacy token at risk of more losses ahead.

Besides this, the Zcash price has also fallen below the 200-day simple moving average, which is another key indicator of long term trend health. Momentum indicators like the MACD have also pointed downwards, with the MACD line dropping below the signal line in another telltale sign of increasing bearish momentum.

Hence, the Zcash price stands at risk of dropping to $200, which serves as the next key psychological support level where bulls could potentially look to stabilize the price. However, a failure to hold this level could pave the way for more downside as the market searches for a new bottom.