Zcash after a swap, shield it yourself for real anonymity
Swaps usually deliver ZEC to transparent addresses. How to move it into the shielded pool where it actually goes quiet.
Zcash has two worlds. Transparent addresses, starting with t, work like Bitcoin and everything is public. Shielded addresses hide sender, receiver and amount. Modern wallets also show unified addresses starting with u1, which bundle both kinds into one.
Why swaps arrive transparent
Instant swaps send and receive Zcash on transparent addresses. That is how the exchange side works, not a limit of your wallet. It means the coins you receive are visible on chain until you move them.
Shield them yourself
- Use a wallet that supports shielding, such as Zashi or YWallet.
- Give the swap your wallet's transparent address as the destination.
- When the ZEC arrives, use the wallet's shield function to move it into the shielded pool.
- Spend from the shielded balance from then on.
The step from transparent to shielded is visible, because the transparent side is public. What happens inside the shielded pool afterwards is not.
Small habits
- Do not shield an exact amount and spend that exact amount right away. Let it sit.
- Use a fresh transparent address for every swap.
Live rates on the Zcash page.
Quick answers
Why not receive straight into a shielded address?
Swaps send to transparent t addresses. Receive at a t address and shield it yourself in your wallet.
Is transparent Zcash anonymous?
No. Transparent ZEC works like Bitcoin and anyone can see amounts and addresses. Anonymity starts once the coins are in the shielded pool.
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