Monero Reaches $649 ATH, Bolsters Privacy Coins to $21 Billion Market Value

Monero (XMR) achieved an all-time high of $649 on Jan. 13, with a market cap of $12.2 billion, reflecting a 46% increase over the past week.
XMR currently leads the privacy coin sector, surpassing Zcash (ZEC), which has decreased by 7% in the past 30 days and is trading at $399.
The total market value of privacy coins reached $21 billion, as per CoinMarketCap data.
Veteran trader Peter Brandt noted that XMR's recent momentum resembles silver’s historic rally, suggesting a potential "god candle" for Monero.
The global cryptocurrency market cap fell by 0.6% to $3.12 trillion, but most leading privacy coins, including XMR, gained momentum.
Santiment analysis indicated a decline in social FOMO after XMR surpassed the $600 mark.
XMR's development activity showed significant fluctuations, with a rise on Jan. 2, a decline on Jan. 10, and renewed momentum on Jan. 12.
In September 2025, Monero received $1 million in community donations for development funding.
In February 2024, Binance delisted Monero due to not meeting the exchange's requirements.