Ethereum can be programmed to do anything including anonymity so no more need for specialized coins.
Actually ETH can't do true anonymity.
Anonymity is something that
has to be in the core protocols, you can't build it on top with bolt on scripts or DAPs without some centralization.
A Turing complete script can read and write data on the block chain, so in theory it can do anything a block chain core protocol can do. Of course performance and other issues may be not be optimal. Yet one can reason that the script can be hard or soft forked into the core protocol to improve efficiency if there is popular demand for the feature.
Z.cash's problem is that a more popular altcoin can steal their technology.
One feature altcoins are a dead end.
The future belongs to the altcoin which can swallow everything and spread adoption because of being multi-faceted. Currency is the most widely used medium-of-exchange.
Academics are not usually savvy businessmen.
It's just I see Zcash and think it's way more professional right from the start.
11% of the coins to be paid to the foundation or developers. Thus the world has an incentive to fork their coin.
Buying the launch hype though might be a great speculation trade.