Zodl
A mobile Zcash wallet from ZODL, formerly called Zashi. Receive payments, shield a transparent balance and send encrypted notes.
Self-custodyShielded paymentsIn-wallet swaps
Get Zodl (opens in a new tab)LEARN_ZCASH
Learn Zcash
Private payments. Public verification. Explore Zcash, choose a wallet and connect with the people building it.
Shielded Zcash payments keep the sender, recipient and amount private on the public blockchain. Zero-knowledge proofs let the network verify payments without publishing those details.
Join the forum (opens in a new tab)Discord (opens in a new tab)Mine testnet ZEC (opens in a new tab)
Browser mining uses testnet Zcash (TAZ), for learning and testing. Testnet coins have no monetary value.
shielded_payment
Shielded payments hide the sender, recipient, amount and memo. A zero-knowledge proof lets the network verify validity without revealing those details.
01
Your wallet comes first
Two featured ways to hold your own keys and use shielded Zcash.
Vizor
A Zcash wallet from the team behind Keplr. Manage shielded payments, contacts and multiple accounts across mobile and desktop.
Self-custodyShielded paymentsIn-wallet swaps
Get Vizor (opens in a new tab)Back up your recovery phrase offline. It controls your funds; ZecBlock never needs it.
Also explore Zingo (opens in a new tab)02
Get ZEC into your wallet
Start with your wallet’s receive address, then choose how to fund it.
Swap into Zcash
Get ZEC with CipherSwap
Swap crypto from another chain into ZEC, powered by NEAR Intents. Choose your asset, review the quote and provide a compatible Zcash receive address.
Open CipherSwap (opens in a new tab)The source-chain payment can remain public. Receiving ZEC does not make the entire cross-chain swap private.
Already have a way to get ZEC?
Receive a payment, use your wallet’s swap feature, or withdraw from a service that supports Zcash.
- Copy the receive address from your wallet.
- Check the service supports its address type and the correct network.
- If it arrives as transparent ZEC, shield it in your wallet before making a private payment.
Review fees, the final receive amount and any provider requirements before confirming.
03
Understand what stays private
The essentials first. Open a topic when you want the detail.
On the public blockchain
| Payment details | Transparent | Fully shielded |
|---|---|---|
| Addresses | Visible | Private |
| Amount | Visible | Private |
| Validity | Verified | Verified |
How does ZEC move between public and private?
TransparentShieldedShielding
ShieldedShieldedPrivate payment
ShieldedTransparentDeshielding
Entering or leaving a pool exposes the public side of the transaction. Transfers inside a shielded pool are not a visible address-to-address trail.
Explore shielded poolsWhich address should I use?
Use the receive address your wallet recommends. A Unified Address can bundle multiple receiver types; the sender’s wallet chooses a compatible receiver. The prefix alone does not guarantee a fully shielded payment.
- Unified
u1mainnet ·utest1testnet- Sapling
zsmainnet ·ztestsaplingtestnet- Transparent
t1 / t3mainnet ·tm / t2testnet
These are prefixes, not payment addresses. Confirm shielded delivery in your wallet before sending.
What are the different shielded pools?
Sprout, Sapling, Orchard and Ironwood are generations of Zcash’s shielded value pools. They hold the same currency, ZEC, with different protocol capabilities and wallet support.
Balances and movements at pool boundaries are public aggregates. They do not expose individual shielded balances.
Explore IronwoodWhat can an explorer actually see?
Transparent addresses have public balances and activity. Shielded addresses do not have a publicly queryable balance or transaction history.
Similar amounts and timing around pool boundaries can suggest a possible link, but cannot prove a transfer or common ownership.
Understand public privacy signalsEncrypted memos and viewing keys
Shielded payments can include encrypted memos. A compatible viewing key can disclose the activity it covers without granting spending authority. Treat it as sensitive financial information.
You do not need to share a key to use an explorer. If you choose to inspect your own encrypted transaction, use the dedicated tool and read its key-handling explanation.
Open memo decryptionDoes shielding hide my internet connection?
On-chain privacy and network privacy are separate. Wallet servers and other network services may see connection metadata such as an IP address.
Tools such as Tor or Nym can address parts of that exposure, depending on how your wallet connects.
04
Build on Zcash. Verify it yourself.
Full nodes verify the chain. Indexers and libraries help applications use it.
Nodes & indexing
- ZakuraZcash full node with block pruning, snapshots and a zcashd compatibility mode. (opens in a new tab)
- ZebraRust full node from the Zcash Foundation. Independently verify the chain. (opens in a new tab)
- ZainoZcash indexing infrastructure from Zingolabs for wallet and application services. (opens in a new tab)
- lightwalletdBackend service that supplies compact blockchain data to light wallets. (opens in a new tab)
Developer tools & references
- Thus Spoke ZakuraLocal Zcash development environment with wallets, a faucet, mining controls and an explorer. Uses an isolated Regtest chain, separate from public testnet. (opens in a new tab)
- ZecBlock APIExplorer endpoints, data definitions and integration examples.
- librustzcashRust libraries for Zcash transactions, keys and wallet functionality. (opens in a new tab)
- ZingolibLight-wallet library for building Zcash applications. (opens in a new tab)
- Protocol & ZIPsProtocol specifications and Zcash Improvement Proposals. (opens in a new tab)
Testing on public testnet? Use testnet ZEC (TAZ) and a testnet address. Testnet coins have no monetary value.
05
Go beyond the basics
Longer reads on the technology, the ideas and the case for private money.
Mastering Zcash
An extended introduction to Zcash, its privacy technology and the ideas behind it. A place to settle in and go deeper.
Read Mastering Zcash (opens in a new tab)The case for Zcash
Frank Braun’s personal investment thesis, exploring financial privacy and Zcash’s potential. Read it as the author’s perspective, with figures in their original date context.
Read Frank Braun’s thesis (opens in a new tab)06
People and projects moving Zcash forward
People, projects and references to help you go further.
Learn & discuss
Company spotlight · Nasdaq: CYPH
A public company focused on Zcash through its ZEC treasury, mining and investment in privacy technology.
What is $CYPH? The company’s stock ticker. Shares represent an interest in the company; ZEC is the currency used on the Zcash network.