Recently, the market has been quite volatile. Many coins are dropping along with the overall market, but one coin seems to be a "stubborn holdout"—ZEC. Its price hovers around $398, neither rising nor falling, making people anxious.

Looking at the data: the 24-hour high surged past $417, the low was around $386, and it repeatedly fluctuated within a $30 range. Trading volume is quite active, with about $230 million traded in 24 hours. But what about the price? It remains as steady as an old dog. You say it's strong, but it hasn't really gone up; you say it's weak, but it won't fall either.

This kind of movement clearly indicates someone is controlling the market. The market maker's tactics are quite tricky—they don't follow the overall trend, nor do they play by conventional rules, just stubbornly holding here. When you expect it to fall, it refuses; when you think it will break out, it pulls back. It's all about psychology, and traders watching the chart can easily get frustrated.

But despite the sideways movement, there's actually some activity behind ZEC. Rumor has it that an institution quietly accumulated over $80 million worth of ZEC, accounting for about 5% of the circulating supply. The ecosystem is also evolving—DeFi functions are expanding, and staking for yields is now possible. Even the founder has gone to talk with regulators about the future of privacy coins—these might all be paving the way for what's next.

On the technical side, the MACD recently formed a golden cross, indicating a short-term rebound, but medium- and long-term indicators are still weak. Both bulls and bears are fighting hard here, neither willing to give in easily.

So if you're trading this coin, you really need to stay alert. The longer it consolidates, the bigger the potential move later, but the direction is hard to predict. Don't be led by market makers, and avoid chasing highs or selling lows impulsively. Watch more, act less, and wait for it to break out on its own. $ZEC