Zcash and NEAR Protocol have emerged as two of crypto’s strongest alternative trades in 2026, a move Bankless co-founder David Hoffman believes is being driven by investors moving some capital away from Bitcoin and Ethereum toward assets with stronger return narratives.
Summary
- David Hoffman says ZEC has captured the Bitcoin bid as some BTC holders allocate capital to the smaller privacy asset.
- NEAR has emerged as a smart contract alternative as traders look beyond established assets such as ETH and SOL.
- Hoffman says the trend could leave Bitcoin and Ethereum competing for capital as investors seek higher returns from smaller crypto assets.
Hoffman said in a Sept….
