Zcash Privacy Explained: Shielded vs. Transparent ZEC, Supported Wallets & More

Zcash can be used in a private or transparent way. When sending ZEC through transparent transactions, the functionality is very similar to Bitcoin. The details of all transparent transactions are fully visible on the Zcash ledger, and they offer no privacy at all beyond the weak protection of pseudonymity.

Meanwhile, the details of shielded transactions are completely hidden from observers. Nobody can see which address was the sender, which address was the receiver, and how much ZEC changed hands. 

You can very quickly determine if the ZEC in your wallet is shielded or not.

• The address starts with a “t”: The ZEC balance is transparent.
• The address starts with “u1” or “z”: The ZEC balance is shielded.

There are 4 types of Zcash transactions:

• Private transaction: shielded address -> shielded address
• Shielding transaction: transparent address -> shielded address
• Deshielding transaction: shielded address -> transparent address
• Public transaction: transparent address -> transparent address

Most cryptocurrency exchanges only support public transactions for ZEC withdrawals due to regulatory concerns. However, the best Zcash wallets like Zodl (formerly known as Zashi) support automatic shielding. These wallets generate a Unified Address that you can use to receive ZEC from any Zcash pool, and you can set the wallet up to automatically shield any ZEC you receive. 

Zcash value pools

Zcash has 4 distinct value pools, representing ZEC held in different types of addresses.

Transparent value pool: This pool contains unshielded ZEC and is currently the largest Zcash value pool. However, the amount of ZEC in this pool has been steadily dropping with the increased adoption of shielded ZEC.

Orchard value pool: The Orchard shielded pool was introduced in 2022 and is the most advanced shielded pool available on Zcash. If you want to shield your ZEC, we recommend you use this pool.

Sapling value pool: The Sapling shielded pool was introduced in 2018. Although it still has some ZEC, we strongly recommend using Orchard instead. 

Sprout value pool: The Sapling shielded pool was introduced in 2018. Although it still has some ZEC, we strongly recommend using Orchard instead.

The total amount of shielded ZEC has seen a dramatic increase since 2025. Orchard, which is the most advanced shielded pool, currently holds roughly 88% of the shielded ZEC supply. Source: zechub.wiki 

How Zcash’s privacy works

Zcash’s privacy is powered by zk-SNARKs, a form of zero-knowledge proof that lets users prove a transaction is valid without revealing its details. In shielded transactions, Zcash can confirm that the sender owns enough coins and has not double-spent, while keeping the sender, recipient, and amount private.

Instead of publishing every transaction detail like Bitcoin, Zcash records an encrypted note plus a mathematical proof that the transaction follows the rules. This proof relies on advanced cryptography, including elliptic-curve pairings and polynomial commitments, making transactions verifiable without exposing sensitive financial information.

If you're also interested in learning about the dynamics of the ZEC supply, make sure to check out our article explaining the Zcash halving. 

Viewing keys

Viewing keys in Zcash provide read-only access to a wallet’s shielded transaction history. You can choose to share a viewing key with someone when you want to show them your shielded transaction history.

Viewing keys were implemented into Zcash with the goal of allowing trusted parties such as tax preparers, auditors, or regulators to verify transaction details, including amounts, addresses, and memos, without giving them the ability to spend funds. Unlike a spending key or recovery phrase, a viewing key cannot move coins or alter the wallet, making it a privacy-preserving tool for compliance and transparency.

How to shield your ZEC

If you want to use hold and use ZEC privately, you cannot keep it on a cryptocurrency exchange. In order to benefit from Zcash’s privacy features, you have to use a Zcash wallet that supports shielded addresses.

Here are the best shielded Zcash wallets available at the moment:

Zodl wallet

Zodl (formerly known as Zashi) is currently the easiest Zcash wallet to recommend. The wallet is built by developers who had a key role in inventing and developing the Zcash protocol, and provides a straightforward yet powerful set of tools to buy, hold, send and swap ZEC.

While Zodl is used with a simple user experience in mind, it also offers advanced features such as the option to use the Tor network and the ability to manually change servers.

Notably, the Zodl wallet is integrated with Near Intents, a service that allows users to seamlessly swap between cryptocurrencies across different blockchain networks. This means that you can privately exchange your ZEC for other cryptocurrencies using the Zodl wallet. 

If you hold other cryptocurrencies that you want to exchange for ZEC, you can go to Near Intents and provide your Zodl wallet address as the destination for the swap.

It’s also important to highlight that that any ZEC you receive to your Zodl wallet will be shielded by default.

Get Zodl Wallet

YWallet

YWallet is a Zcash wallet that also supports Ycash, which is a fork of Zcash launched in 2019. YWallet functions as a wallet and as a private messenger, leveraging Zcash’s encrypted memo feature. 

In addition to the standard functionality of storing and transacting with ZEC, YWallet has interesting features such as key derivation and fund sweeping, which will be useful to enthusiasts. 

We generally don’t recommend YWallet to Zcash beginners who are looking for the simplest way to store and transact with their ZEC. However, it’s a compelling option for advanced users and Zcash enthusiasts who want as much control over their coins as possible. 

Get Ywallet

Unstoppable Wallet

Unstoppable Wallet is one of the few multi-currency crypto wallets that supports shielded Zcash. Unstoppable uses a non-custodial design, and also supports a variety of cryptocurrencies including Bitcoin, Ethereum, Solana, BNB Chain and other chains. Unstoppable integrates DEXes and token swaps, allowing users to seamlessly change between different types of coins.

Although it largely functions as a typical multi-currency wallet, Unstoppable also implements some unique features, including protection against address poisoning attacks and a “duress mode” that opens a secondary wallet instead of the main wallet if the user is forced to open their wallet by coercion.

If you’re looking for a non-custodial wallet to hold all your different coins while still benefiting from the privacy of Zcash, Unstoppable is a good option. However, if you’re only looking for a ZEC wallet, Zodl is likely a better choice.

Get Unstoppable Wallet

Keystone Wallet

Keystone is currently the only hardware crypto wallet that has native support for shielded Zcash. The company’s latest model, the Keystone 3 Pro, features an air-gapped design, which means that it does not directly connect to any other devices. 

The wallet is equipped with a screen that displays QR codes to be scanned with a wallet app, and users install updates to the wallet through Micro SD cards. Both the hardware and software used by Keystone are open source.

Keystone offers their own wallet app called Keystone Nexus, but the hardware wallet can also be used with a variety of other software wallets, including Zodl. 

Combining Keystone with Zodl is our current recommendation for users who want to secure their shielded ZEC with a hardware wallet.

Get Keystone Wallet

FAQs

What is the difference between shielded and transparent Zcash?

When you send a transparent ZEC transaction, anyone can see the sender, recipient and amount on the blockchain (just like with Bitcoin). If you send a shielded transaction, nobody else can see where you sent the ZEC from, where you sent it to, and what amount you sent. However, you have the option of disclosing your shielded transaction history by sharing your viewing key.

Which wallets to use for shielded Zcash?

If you’re looking to use shielded Zcash, the easiest wallet to recommend is Zodl. However, there are also some solid alternatives such as the multi-currency Unstoppable wallet, Wallet, Vizor and others. If you want to protect your shielded Zcash with a hardware wallet, we recommend you use a Keystone device. 

Do Ledger and Trezor hardware wallets support shielded Zcash?

No, Ledger and Trezor devices currently don’t offer native support for shielded Zcash. The only hardware wallet at the moment with built-in support for shielded Zcash is Keystone.