Monero, Zcash Prices Surge as THORChain Announces Expansion

THORChain Accelerates As Monero Mainnet Nears
  • Monero mainnet integration on THORChair is expected within 1-2 months.
  • Zcash was already surging but THORChain development added to the momentum.
  • THORChain activity is growing fast.

THORChain announced today, April 10, 2026, on social media platform X, that Monero ($XMR) could go live on mainnet within the next 1-2 months. At the same time, Zcash ($ZEC) and Bittensor ($TAO) are also progressing in parallel. This indicates that there is a major expansion of THORChain’s cross-chain ecosystem.

Monero Integration: Solving the Privacy Challenge

Monero hides transaction details and that is how it distinguishes itself from the other blockchains. This feature makes it difficult for cross-chain systems to track and process the transactions. Hence, integrating Monero on THORChain is a significant move.

Developers Boone’s Monero client has already passed simulation tests. These tests confirmed that core actions, such as swaps, liquidity provision, and withdrawals, work in a local THORChain environment.

THORChain founder Chad Barraford reviewed the implementation and confirmed that the system is ready but still needs minor refinements before the final deployment.

A key breakthrough is the use of a dedicated Asgard vault which is secured by 100+ validators. When this is combined with Monero’s FROST cryptography, this setup allows secure transaction coordination without exposing sensitive data.

Additional improvements that are needed (includes memoless transactions and AI-assisted coding) have also played a role in making the integration viable.

Timeline to Mainnet

According to a blog released by THORChain, the rollout will take place in phases. First, the code is expected to be merged within about two weeks. This will be followed by testing on stagenet and chaosnet for another 2-4 weeks to make sure that everything is running smoothly.

After that, Monero is planned to go live on mainnet with an initial $10,000 liquidity pool. If all goes as planned, then the integration could be completed within 1-2 months, with early liquidity supported by treasury funds to help ensure a smooth launch.

As there has been a strong rotation of money within the privacy coins, the price of privacy tokens such as Monero, Zcash, and Dash has surged. At press time, the price of Monero token ($XMR) stands at $346.39 with an uptick of 4.5% in the last 24-hours as per CoinMarketCap.

XMR 24-hour chart
XMR 24-hour chart

Zcash and Bittensor Progress in Parallel

THORChain is not going to stop at just Monero. The platform is targeting a late April release for Zcash as well, however it will initially exclude shielded addresses so that the deployment can be simplified.

Zcash before this announcement was already trending upward but THORChain integration news added further momentum to the existing rally. At press time, ZEC price stands at $378.08 with a surge of 21.48% in the last 24-hours as per CoinMarketCap.

ZEC 24-hour chart
ZEC 24-hour chart

Additionally, Bittensor is being developed alongside Monero, with both expected to align around the THORChain 3.18 release.

AI tools have significantly reduced development time, allowing multiple complex integrations to move forward simultaneously, something that would have taken much longer in traditional workflows.

Network Activity and Liquidity Expansion

THORChain’s growth is now clearly visible in real usage. Rapid swaps recently hit a record $1.6 million in volume, making up nearly 50% of all transactions. This shows strong participation from arbitrage traders and active users.

To deepen liquidity, THORChain is rolling out Protocol-Owned Liquidity (POL) in version 3.18. Instead of depending on external providers, the protocol will use its own capital to strengthen pools. Funds will be directed toward high-demand assets like Monero, Zcash, Bittensor and Solana.

At current rates, POL could add around $200,000 per month, helping create more stable and self-sustaining liquidity.

Huginn AI Speeds Up Development

Development is also accelerating with Huginn AI, an autonomous coding agent. In the latest release, it helped fix dozens of issues, including critical bugs like mempool prioritization errors. It can identify and resolve problems with minimal human input.

Future updates aim to integrate multiple AI models like Anthropic, OpenAI Codex, and Google Gemini, improving accuracy through cross-checking systems.

With rising prices, deeper liquidity and upcoming integration, THORChain is evolving into a stronger cross-chain network.

Also Read: Zcash Price Soars 4%, Monero Follows But Faces Correction

See more
Niharika Deshpande
Written by Niharika Deshpande
Niharika has over four years of experience as a editor and is part of the team at CryptoNewsZ. Although she holds a Master’s in Biochemistry, she has a knack for simplifying complex blockchain concepts. With a keen eye for industry trends, she delivers breaking stories and insightful analyses of the crypto world. Her articles serve as a go-to resource for those navigating crypto gambling, offering clear and well-researched insights. She also covers the latest crypto pre-sales and emerging token launches, helping investors stay informed. Passionate about the evolving blockchain space, she continues to explore its impact on various sectors. Beyond journalism, she actively engages with the crypto community, fostering discussions on decentralized innovations.