Is the fear market an opportunity? What are the 2 essential accumulation coins for the next bull market chosen by virtual asset experts?

▲ Ethereum (ETH) ©

According to experts, now, with extreme fear and pessimism characteristic of the virtual asset market prevalent, is the optimal time for contrarian investment to accumulate valuable assets that will lead the upcoming bull market at low prices. With most virtual assets significantly corrected from their 2025 highs, a dark horse with robust foundational strength in the blockchain ecosystem and benefiting from the resolution of significant regulatory risks has been identified as a frontrunner for the next bull market.

According to the investment media outlet The Motley Fool on May 21 (local time), the first recommended asset is Ethereum (ETH, Ethereum), a pillar of the virtual asset market that has been validated through numerous crises. While Ethereum's price hovers around $2,100, a roughly 57% drop from its all-time high of $4,946 recorded in August 2025, experts analyze that this price decline actually offers an attractive entry opportunity by narrowing the gap between intrinsic value and public sentiment. Ethereum currently boasts the largest decentralized finance (DeFi) ecosystem, with deposited assets totaling approximately $43 billion, dominating its competitor Solana by more than six times. It also has $165 billion in capital locked on its chain, nearly half of the total stablecoin supply. Furthermore, it leads $19 billion in tokenized real-world asset (RWA) transactions, making it a dominant capital hub that is bound to be the biggest beneficiary of institutional capital inflow when the market rebounds.

On the other hand, the second recommended asset, Zcash (ZEC, Zcash), was singled out as an attractive alternative for investors seeking relatively high risk and high returns. Zcash, a privacy coin renowned for its advanced zero-knowledge proof (zk-SNARKs) technology that completely hides the sender, receiver, and transaction amount in the transaction process, has recently secured a series of powerful catalysts for growth after a long period of stagnation. Following a halving in November 2025, which will reduce mining rewards by half and set the stage for a supply shortage, the biggest legal risk that had been weighing on the market was completely lifted on January 15 this year when the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) officially concluded its nearly two-year investigation into the Zcash Foundation without any further enforcement action.

Amidst this regulatory relief, the Zcash development team, Zcash Open Development Lab (ZODL), successfully raised $25 million in seed funding in March from colossal venture capitalists in Silicon Valley and the virtual asset industry, including Andreessen Horowitz (a16z), Winklevoss Capital, and Coinbase Ventures. Equipped with solid funding, Zcash has surged by over 1,200% in the past year, soaring to around $662, and considering the large-scale feature updates planned in its future development roadmap, this rally is largely considered just the beginning.

Of course, due to the nature of privacy coins, there is a specific risk of delisting from exchanges due to pressure from regulatory authorities in various countries, making it somewhat difficult to consider Zcash a core asset in a portfolio. Nevertheless, global user demand for transaction anonymity and privacy protection is growing day by day, and as long as this market persists, Zcash is considered a unique asset poised for the most explosive growth in the next bull market, backed by strong supply limitation effects and the full support of venture capitalists.

In conclusion, the combination of Ethereum, which absorbs capital from the entire market and ensures stable long-term growth, and Zcash, which has shed regulatory shackles and promises explosive high returns amid massive capital inflow, is expected to be an excellent roadmap for investors preparing for the upcoming new bull market. Experts advise that rather than being swayed by the temporary market downturn, a strategy of phased buying while closely observing each asset's exclusive position and changes in technical fundamentals is effective.

*Disclaimer: This article is for investment reference only, and we are not responsible for any investment losses incurred based on it. The content should be interpreted for informational purposes only.*