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Send Shielded Transaction

Shielded transactions are fully private - the sender, receiver, and amount are all hidden. This guide shows you how to send them.

Time & Difficulty

⏱️ 2 minutes | 🎯 Difficulty: Beginner

What is a Shielded Transaction?​

A shielded transaction transfers assets within the MASP:

znam (sender) → ??? → znam (receiver)
         All details hidden

What's hidden:

  • ❌ Sender address
  • ❌ Receiver address
  • ❌ Amount transferred
  • ❌ Transaction link

What's visible:

  • ✅ A transaction occurred (but no details)

Prerequisites​

  • Assets in your shielded balance
  • Recipient's shielded address (znam...)
  • Small amount of NAM for fees

Get Recipient's Shielded Address​

Ask the recipient for their shielded payment address:

znam1abc123def456ghi789jkl012mno345pqr678stu901vwx234yz567
Payment Addresses

Recipients can generate unlimited payment addresses from their wallet. Each provides the same privacy.

Send Using Namada Extension​

Step 1: Start Transaction​

  1. Open Namada Extension
  2. Ensure you're viewing shielded balance
  3. Click Send

Step 2: Enter Details​

  1. Recipient: Paste their znam... address
  2. Amount: Enter how much to send
  3. Asset: Select token (NAM, ATOM, etc.)

Step 3: Review & Confirm​

  1. Verify recipient address (compare first/last 6 chars)
  2. Confirm amount
  3. Check fee (~0.01 NAM)
  4. Click Send

Step 4: Done!​

  • Transaction confirms in ~10 seconds
  • Both sender and receiver balances update
  • No public record of the transfer

Send Using CLI​

Basic Shielded Transfer​

namadac transfer \
  --source my-wallet \
  --target znam1recipient... \
  --token NAM \
  --amount 100

With Explicit Shielded Flag​

namadac transfer \
  --source my-wallet \
  --target znam1recipient... \
  --token NAM \
  --amount 100 \
  --shielded

Transfer Different Assets​

# Send shielded ATOM
namadac transfer \
  --source my-wallet \
  --target znam1recipient... \
  --token ATOM \
  --amount 50

Transaction Fees​

Transfer TypeFee
Shielded → Shielded~0.01 NAM

Fees are deducted from your shielded balance.

Transaction Time​

StageDuration
Proof generation~1-2 seconds
BroadcastInstant
Confirmation~6 seconds
Total~10 seconds

Receiving Shielded Transactions​

To receive:

  1. Generate a payment address (or use existing shielded address)
  2. Share it with the sender
  3. Wait for transaction
  4. Check your shielded balance

Generate Payment Address​

namadaw gen-payment-addr --alias friend-payment --key my-wallet

Share this address with senders. You can generate unlimited addresses.

Privacy Comparison​

Transaction TypePrivacy Level
Transparent → Transparent❌ None
Transparent → Shielded⚠️ Partial (shielding visible)
Shielded → Shielded✅ Full
Shielded → Transparent⚠️ Partial (unshielding visible)

Shielded → Shielded provides the best privacy.

Best Practices​

For Maximum Privacy​

  1. Keep assets shielded - Avoid frequent shield/unshield
  2. Use payment addresses - Generate new ones for different senders
  3. Avoid patterns - Don't send same amounts at same times
  4. Be patient - Let assets sit in the shielded pool

When Sharing Addresses​

  • Generate fresh payment addresses for each sender
  • Don't reuse addresses publicly
  • Share addresses through secure channels

Multiple Recipients​

Send to multiple people:

# First transfer
namadac transfer \
  --source my-wallet \
  --target znam1alice... \
  --token NAM \
  --amount 50

# Second transfer
namadac transfer \
  --source my-wallet \
  --target znam1bob... \
  --token NAM \
  --amount 30

Each transaction is independent and unlinkable.

Troubleshooting​

"Insufficient shielded balance"​

Check your balance:

namadac balance --owner my-wallet --token NAM --shielded

Remember: amount + fee must be available.

"Invalid shielded address"​

Verify the address:

  • Starts with znam
  • Correct length
  • No typos or extra characters

"Transaction pending"​

Wait up to 60 seconds. If still pending:

  • Check network status
  • Try with higher gas

"Recipient didn't receive"​

  1. Verify transaction confirmed on your end
  2. Have recipient refresh their wallet
  3. Confirm you used correct address
  4. Check their wallet is synced

FAQ​

Can I send to transparent from shielded?​

Yes, but that's unshielding, not a shielded transfer. See Unshield Assets.

Can I send to myself?​

Yes! Use your own payment address. Useful for:

  • Consolidating funds
  • Generating new payment addresses
  • Testing

Are shielded transactions reversible?​

No. Like all blockchain transactions, they're final. Double-check before sending.

Can I prove a shielded transaction?​

Yes, you can generate a viewing key to prove specific transactions when needed.

What if I send to wrong address?​

If the address is valid: funds are sent to that address If the address is invalid: transaction fails, funds stay with you

Under the Hood​

Shielded transactions use:

  1. zk-SNARKs: Zero-knowledge proofs hide all details
  2. Encrypted values: Amounts are encrypted
  3. Nullifiers: Prevent double-spending without revealing source

Learn more: MASP Explained

Flow Diagram​

Alice's Wallet                    Bob's Wallet
     │                                 │
     │  znam1alice...                  │  znam1bob...
     │       │                         │       ▲
     │       │                         │       │
     └───────┴─────────────────────────┴───────┘
                        │
                        │  100 NAM (hidden)
                        │
             ┌──────────▼──────────┐
             │    SHIELDED POOL    │
             │                     │
             │   ??? → ??? → ???   │
             │   All details hidden │
             └─────────────────────┘
                        
Block Explorer sees:
"A shielded transaction occurred"
(No sender, receiver, or amount visible)

Next Steps​