Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches2Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems3Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteTo send Zcash (ZEC), use a wallet that supports the recipient’s address type, paste or scan the address, enter the amount, review the destination, fee, and any privacy warning, then confirm. A transparent address exposes address and transaction-value activity publicly; shielded-to-shielded transfers conceal sender, recipient, and amount from public observers, though fees remain visible.
Before you send: identify the address and privacy trade-off
Zcash supports transparent and shielded address receivers. The address you use affects what information is visible on the blockchain, and a wallet may not support every address format. The exact send controls vary by wallet, so follow that wallet’s current instructions rather than assuming a universal button sequence.
| # | Preview | Product | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
|
Cryptocurrency: Turn $20.00 In To $20,000: The Ultimate Beginner’s Guide About Blockchain Wallet,... | $2.99 | Buy on Amazon |
| Transfer | What public observers can see | What it means for you |
|---|---|---|
| Transparent to transparent | Transparent addresses and transaction values are publicly visible. | This does not provide transaction privacy. |
| Transparent to shielded | The transparent source-side information is visible; the shielded receipt is protected. | Moving value into a shielded pool does not erase the publicly visible sending information. |
| Shielded to transparent | Information is exposed at the transparent receiving end. | Read the wallet’s warning before approving the payment. |
| Shielded to shielded | Sender, recipient, and amount are concealed from public observers; transaction fees remain visible. | This provides the strongest on-chain privacy among these combinations, but it does not conceal fees or guarantee total anonymity. |
Zcash’s address and value-pool documentation and its wallet feature UX checklist describe these distinctions. The checklist says that a transaction involving a transparent address, as sender or recipient, publishes details of the transparent address and amount on the blockchain.
How to send ZEC
- Get the destination address from the intended recipient. Confirm which address they want you to use and whether it is a transparent, shielded, or Unified Address.
- Open a wallet that supports that address format. Wallet capabilities differ. If it cannot accept a shielded address, check its support documentation or ask the recipient for an address format your wallet supports.
- Start a send or payment in the wallet. Use the wallet’s own send flow; controls and labels vary.
- Scan or paste the address. Compare the address shown by the wallet with the one supplied by the recipient. Do not proceed if it differs or the wallet reports a problem you cannot resolve.
- Enter the ZEC amount. Review the destination, amount, displayed fee, and any privacy warning together before confirming.
- Confirm only when the details are correct. In particular, pause if a shielded sender is paying a transparent recipient and the wallet warns that information will be exposed.
If the recipient supplied a Unified Address
A Unified Address can contain multiple receiver types, allowing compatible wallets to use a receiver they support. A conforming sender chooses its most preferred supported receiver type; the user generally does not select among the address’s internal components manually. ZIP 316 defines a preference order that includes Orchard, then Sapling, then transparent receivers, subject to what the sending wallet supports. The Zcash explainer describes a Unified Address as one address that works across transparent and shielded pools.
Do not assume every wallet or service supports every Unified Address variant. ZIP 316 Revision 2 is a draft proposing visibly distinct zu shielded-only and tu transparent-enabled forms; the original active revision uses u. Those prefixes and draft status are reasons to check the recipient’s instructions and your wallet’s current support, not to infer compatibility from the address alone. See ZIP 316 and the Zcash Unified Address explainer.
When a wallet rejects an address
A rejected shielded address is not necessarily invalid. The wallet may simply lack support for that address type. Check the wallet’s documentation for supported formats, then either use a compatible wallet or ask the recipient for an address type your wallet accepts. Wallet guidance recommends making unsupported shielded-address capability clear to users.
Do not treat a fresh transparent address for every payment as meaningful privacy: Zcash’s wallet checklist warns that this can create a false sense of privacy, because transparent address and amount activity remains publicly observable.
Keep received funds shielded when possible
ZIP 315 recommends holding funds in shielded pools for the long term and auto-shielding transparent funds by default when wallet support permits. This is wallet implementation guidance, not a guarantee that every wallet offers automatic shielding or that a particular transfer is private in every respect. Check your wallet’s options and warnings before relying on them. See ZIP 315: Best Practices for Wallet Implementations.
Free tools Windows power users keep installed
One-click scans. No signup required.
Quick Recap
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
