Zcash shielded transactions use private notes and shielded addresses to protect transaction details, but Zcash is not private by default: transparent addresses, transparent recipients, and transfers between shielded pools can expose information. What is visible depends on the transaction path and the wallet’s privacy policy.
What is the difference between a Zcash t-address and z-address?
A transparent address, or t-address, works with funds represented as unspent transaction outputs (UTXOs). A shielded address, or z-address, receives funds represented as notes. Zcash’s payment API distinguishes transparent transfers, which can use Bitcoin-compatible RPC calls, from transfers involving shielded addresses, which use Zcash-specific calls. Zcash Payment API
At a high level, a shielded spend consumes existing notes and creates new notes for recipients or change. The network checks that the transaction is valid, but that does not mean every detail is hidden in every transaction. The source and destination address types, shielded pools involved, and wallet-selected transaction policy all matter.
What does a Zcash shielded transaction hide?
When value stays within one shielded pool, shielded addresses and notes provide privacy features that are not present in a transparent transfer. Shielded addresses are not publicly visible in transactions, so the address receiving change is not exposed in the same way as a public change address. ZIP 32 explains: “Shielded addresses are never publicly visible in transactions, which means that sending change back to the originating address is indistinguishable from using a change address.” Zcash ZIP 32
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Shielding is not an all-or-nothing property of a transaction. If a transfer involves a transparent sender or recipient, or moves value between shielded pools, it can reveal participant details or the amount. A shielded-capable wallet can therefore create a transaction that does not keep every detail private.
How do transparent, shielded, and cross-pool paths compare?
| Transaction path | Funds and addresses involved | Privacy consideration |
|---|---|---|
| Transparent to transparent | Transparent UTXOs and t-addresses | It is a transparent transfer, not a shielded transaction. |
| Shielded within one pool | Shielded notes and addresses within Sapling or Orchard | Uses the privacy features of that pool; it does not make the pool’s anonymity set interchangeable with another pool’s. |
| Between shielded pools | Value crosses a boundary such as Sapling to Orchard | Cross-pool transfers can reveal the transaction amount. Orchard is a separate anonymity set from Sapling and Sprout. Orchard Shielded Protocol |
| Shielded to transparent, or transparent to shielded | A shielded pool and a t-address participate | Wallet policies may allow these paths with additional participant or amount disclosure. Check the wallet’s transaction summary. |
Sapling and Orchard are distinct shielded pools. Orchard notes can only be spent as Orchard notes; moving value into or out of Orchard is represented through the valueBalanceOrchard field. The Orchard specification warns that spending Orchard funds to a non-Orchard address reveals the transaction value. Orchard Shielded Protocol
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A pool’s anonymity set consists of notes in that pool; shielding value in one pool does not make it part of another pool’s set. The lightwallet protocol schema also lists an Ironwood pool, but that listing alone does not establish its Mainnet activation or consensus status. Zcash lightwallet protocol schema
How do Unified Addresses affect shielded payments?
A Unified Address can bundle multiple receiver types, including Orchard. Orchard payment addresses do not have a standalone string encoding; they are represented through Unified Addresses. Mainnet Unified Addresses use the human-readable prefix u1. The Orchard Book: Keys and addresses
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A Unified Address is not itself a guarantee that a payment will use a shielded receiver. It can contain different receiver types, and the actual path depends on the wallet’s selection and policy. In Zcash 6.12.2, the RPC documentation says change from a Unified Address is returned to the internal-only address associated with its account. Zcash 6.12.2 z_sendmany RPC
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What privacy policies does the Zcash 6.12.2 RPC define?
The z_sendmany RPC describes policies that determine which paths may be used. These are RPC-level options, not controls guaranteed to appear in every wallet’s interface:
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FullPrivacy: permits fully shielded transactions involving a single shielded value pool.AllowRevealedAmounts: permits transfers that cross shielded pools, where amounts can be revealed.- Transparent-sender and transparent-recipient options: permit paths that disclose additional details by involving transparent participants.
AllowFullyTransparent: permits transparent inputs and outputs.LegacyCompat: behaves differently depending on whether a Unified Address is involved.
The documentation also describes an implementation-specific restriction: when spending coinbase UTXOs, only shielded recipients are permitted, change is not allowed, and the full value must be consumed. This is a payment behavior documented for the RPC, not a general description of every wallet’s interface. Zcash 6.12.2 z_sendmany RPC
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What should you check before sending?
- Check whether the sender and recipient are transparent addresses or shielded receivers in Unified Addresses.
- Check whether the wallet says value will stay in one shielded pool or cross between pools.
- Read the transaction summary for warnings about revealed amounts or transparent participants; do not rely on an address label alone.
- If using RPC directly, verify which privacy policy is selected and what that policy permits in the documented version.
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