Pick the view for each payment
A zkUSD balance can sit in any of three states, and each payment picks its own. Nothing moves between them unless you ask, and every move is one action in the app.
| Standard | Private | Shielded | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Transfer amount | Public | Encrypted | Hidden |
| Your balance | Public | Encrypted | Private notes |
| Who paid whom | Public | Visible | Unlinkable |
| Speed | Instant | One transaction | A proof, then one transaction |
| Works on DEXs | Yes | Switch to Standard | Withdraw first |
Standard
A regular Token-2022 balance. Send it to anyone, trade it on any DEX, hold it in any wallet. It is the on-ramp and off-ramp for everything else.
Private
Your balance and every amount you send are encrypted on-chain with Solana’s confidential transfers. The chain still records who paid whom, which is exactly what you want for payroll, invoices and business payments, where both sides already know each other. How Private works.
Shielded
Money in the pool is held as private notes. Paying someone inside the pool publishes a zero-knowledge proof and nothing else: no amount, no sender, no recipient. Anyone can pay you with just your shielded address, which starts with zk. How Shielded works.
Moving between modes
| Move | What the chain sees | You sign |
|---|---|---|
| Standard → Private | An amount entering your encrypted balance | Once |
| Private → Standard | An amount leaving it | Once |
| Standard → Shielded | A deposit into the pool | Once |
| Private → Shielded | A private transfer into the pool, amount hidden | Once |
| Shielded → Private | A private transfer out of the pool, amount hidden | Nothing |
| Shielded → Standard | A withdrawal to any address you choose | Nothing |
| Shielded → Shielded | A proof. That is all | Nothing |