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MASP Explained

The Multi-Asset Shielded Pool (MASP) is Namada's breakthrough privacy technology. This guide explains how it works in accessible terms.

What is MASP?​

MASP stands for Multi-Asset Shielded Pool. It's the technology that enables:

  • 🛡️ Private transactions
  • 💎 Multiple assets sharing privacy
  • 🔗 Broken transaction links
  • 🎁 Shielded rewards

The Key Innovation​

Traditional Privacy​

Most privacy coins work like this:

Zcash: Only ZEC can be private
Monero: Only XMR can be private
Each chain has its own privacy pool

Namada's MASP​

Namada allows any asset to use the same pool:

MASP Pool: NAM + ATOM + OSMO + USDC + ...
All assets share the same privacy set

This is revolutionary because:

  • More assets = larger anonymity set
  • Your NAM transactions hide among ALL transactions
  • Privacy scales with ecosystem adoption

How It Works​

The Shielded Pool Metaphor​

Imagine a giant swimming pool:

   SHIELDED POOL (MASP)
╔═══════════════════════════════════════╗
║  💧💧💧💧💧💧💧💧💧💧💧💧💧💧💧💧💧  ║
║  💧 NAM ATOM OSMO USDC NAM ATOM 💧   ║
║  💧💧💧💧💧💧💧💧💧💧💧💧💧💧💧💧💧  ║
║       All mixed together              ║
╚═══════════════════════════════════════╝
         │                  │
    Someone enters      Someone exits
    (shield)            (unshield)
         ↓                  ↓
   "Added water"       "Took water"
   (not "whose")       (not "whose")

When you shield:

  • Your assets join the pool
  • They mix with everyone else's
  • Individual ownership becomes unknowable

When you transfer shielded:

  • Transaction happens inside the pool
  • No one can see sender, receiver, or amount
  • Only sender and receiver know

Technical Components​

Zero-Knowledge Proofs​

MASP uses zk-SNARKs (Zero-Knowledge Succinct Non-Interactive Arguments of Knowledge):

Prover: "I have funds and am authorized to spend them"
Verifier: "I can verify this is true"
          "But I learn nothing else"

Properties:

  • Completeness: Valid transactions always verify
  • Soundness: Invalid transactions never verify
  • Zero-knowledge: Verifier learns nothing beyond validity

Nullifiers​

Prevent double-spending without revealing identity:

When you create a shielded note:
  Note: "100 NAM belongs to [encrypted owner]"
  
When you spend it:
  Reveal nullifier (unique to this note)
  Network: "This note is now spent"
  Network doesn't know WHO spent it

Commitments​

Hide transaction details:

Commitment = Hash(asset, amount, owner, randomness)

Anyone can see: A commitment exists
No one can see: What's inside without the key

The Anonymity Set​

Your privacy depends on others in the pool:

Small Pool​

Only 10 people in pool
You're 1 of 10
Privacy: Limited

Large Pool​

10,000 people in pool
You're 1 of 10,000
Privacy: Strong

MASP Advantage​

NAM holders: 5,000
ATOM holders: 3,000
OSMO holders: 2,000
---
Total anonymity set: 10,000
Everyone benefits!

Shielded Rewards​

MASP incentivizes privacy through rewards:

Why Incentivize?​

  • More participants = better privacy
  • Benefits are public good
  • Individual incentive needed

How It Works​

1. You shield assets
2. Assets contribute to anonymity set
3. You earn rewards proportional to:
   - Amount shielded
   - Time shielded
   - Asset type weights
4. Rewards paid in NAM

Economics​

Shielded assets help everyone's privacy
  ↓
Public benefit created
  ↓
Protocol rewards contributors
  ↓
More people shield
  ↓
Privacy improves for all

Privacy Guarantees​

What MASP Hides​

ElementHidden?
Sender address✅ Yes
Receiver address✅ Yes
Amount✅ Yes
Asset type✅ Yes
Transaction time❌ No*
Transaction occurred❌ No

*The fact that a shielded transaction happened is visible, but not the details.

What's Still Visible​

  • Shield/unshield transactions (but not what happens inside)
  • Total shielded pool size
  • Number of shielded transactions
  • Your own transactions (to you)

Viewing Keys​

You can selectively reveal information:

Full Viewing Key​

Reveals all your shielded transactions to holder:

  • Useful for auditors, tax reporting
  • You control who gets it

Payment Disclosure​

Prove a specific transaction occurred:

  • "I paid Alice 100 NAM on [date]"
  • Selective disclosure

Address Disclosure​

Share your shielded address without spending ability:

  • Receive funds
  • Others can't spend your funds

Comparison with Other Privacy Tech​

FeatureMASPZcashMoneroTornado Cash
Multi-asset✅❌❌❌
Proof systemzk-SNARKszk-SNARKsRing sigszk-SNARKs
IBC compatible✅❌❌❌
Shielded rewards✅❌❌❌
Native L1✅✅✅❌ (L2)

Using MASP​

Basic Operations​

  1. Shield: Move transparent → shielded
  2. Transfer: Shielded → shielded
  3. Unshield: Shielded → transparent

Best Practices​

  • Shield early, stay shielded
  • Use common amounts
  • Wait between shield/unshield
  • Generate fresh payment addresses

See Privacy Best Practices for more.

Future Developments​

MASP continues to evolve:

  • 🔮 Faster proofs: Improved proving time
  • 🌉 More bridges: ETH bridge integration
  • 📱 Mobile support: Lighter proofs for phones
  • ⚡ Instant finality: Faster confirmations

FAQ​

Is MASP audited?​

Yes, MASP is based on Zcash's Sapling protocol with extensive auditing and years of production use.

Can government break MASP?​

Current cryptography is considered secure. The math is sound. Implementation security is actively maintained.

What if I lose my keys?​

Like all crypto: If you lose your keys, you lose access. The privacy protection works both ways.

Is MASP quantum-resistant?​

Not currently. Quantum-resistant upgrades are being researched across the industry.

Learn More​