Arthur Hayes, former CEO of BitMEX, predicts that privacy will be the defining theme of the 2026 cryptocurrency market, with Zcash playing a pivotal role. His family office, Maelstrom, has significantly invested in Zcash, making it the second-largest liquid asset in their portfolio after Bitcoin. Hayes anticipates that U.S. political trends towards credit expansion will bolster Bitcoin and privacy-centric assets. Maelstrom is also realigning its research and investment strategies to focus on the zero-knowledge proof ecosystem.