ZEC’s price reaction may be overdone. However, this is another high-profile governance conflict just weeks after the Aave. In December 2025, Aave's community and its core development team were in a sharp dispute, and escalated into a broader governance battle over revenue rights, brand control, and the balance of power. In Aave’s case, the governance conflict was triggered by up to $10 million in annual revenue being redirected without explicit DAO approval, while in Zcash’s case, a 700%+ surge in ZEC over the past year dramatically raised the stakes around control and future development. When real monetary value and economic interests become significant, long-standing governance tensions that once seemed manageable are now surfacing as open conflict.(BloFin Research)