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Shield Assets

Shielding moves your assets into Namada's Multi-Asset Shielded Pool (MASP), making your balance and transactions private.

Time & Difficulty

⏱️ 2 minutes | 🎯 Difficulty: Beginner

What is Shielding?​

Shielding is the process of moving assets from a transparent address (tnam) to a shielded address (znam):

Before: tnam... → 1000 NAM visible on explorer
After:  znam... → Balance hidden, transactions private

Benefits of Shielding​

  • 🔒 Private balance - No one can see how much you have
  • 👻 Hidden transactions - Transfers are unlinkable
  • 💰 Shielded rewards - Earn rewards for shielding
  • 🛡️ Multi-asset - Shield any supported asset

Prerequisites​

  • NAM or other assets in your transparent wallet
  • Small amount of NAM for transaction fees (~0.01 NAM)

Shield Using Namada Extension​

Step 1: Open Your Wallet​

  1. Click the Namada Extension icon
  2. Verify you have assets in your transparent balance

Step 2: Initiate Shield​

  1. Click Shield button
  2. Select the asset to shield (NAM, ATOM, etc.)
  3. Enter amount (or click "Max")

Step 3: Confirm Transaction​

  1. Review the details:

    • Asset: NAM
    • Amount: 100
    • From: tnam... (transparent)
    • To: znam... (shielded)
    • Fee: ~0.01 NAM

  2. Click Confirm

  3. Wait for confirmation (~6 seconds)

Step 4: Verify​

  1. Check your shielded balance
  2. The amount should now appear under "Shielded"

Shield Using CLI​

Basic Shield Command​

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

Shield to Specific Shielded Address​

# First, generate a payment address
namadaw gen-payment-addr --alias my-payment-addr --key my-wallet

# Then shield to it
namadac transfer \
  --source my-wallet \
  --target my-payment-addr \
  --token NAM \
  --amount 100

Check Shielded Balance​

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

Shield Other Assets​

You can shield any IBC token:

Shield ATOM​

namadac transfer \
  --source my-wallet \
  --target my-wallet \
  --token ATOM \
  --amount 50 \
  --shielded

Shield OSMO​

namadac transfer \
  --source my-wallet \
  --target my-wallet \
  --token OSMO \
  --amount 100 \
  --shielded

Shielding Fees​

ActionApproximate Fee
Shield NAM~0.01 NAM
Shield IBC token~0.01 NAM

Keep some NAM unshielded for future transaction fees.

How Long Does Shielding Take?​

StageTime
Transaction broadcastInstant
Block confirmation~6 seconds
Balance update~6 seconds
Total~12 seconds

Privacy Considerations​

Shielding Alone Isn't Full Privacy​

The shielding transaction itself is visible:

Visible: tnam... sent 1000 NAM to shielded pool
Hidden: What happens next in the shielded pool

Best Practices​

  1. Wait after shielding - Don't immediately unshield
  2. Use common amounts - 100, 500, 1000 instead of 1234.56
  3. Shield regularly - Mix your deposits over time
  4. Keep shielded long-term - More time = more privacy

The Anonymity Set​

Your privacy depends on others:

More people in shielded pool = Better privacy for everyone

That's why Namada rewards shielding - it helps everyone!

Shielded Rewards​

When you shield, you start earning rewards:

  • 📈 Proportional to amount shielded
  • ⏱️ Proportional to time shielded
  • 💎 Paid in NAM
  • 🤖 Automatic - no action needed

Check rewards:

namadac balance --owner my-wallet --shielded

After Shielding​

Now you can:

Troubleshooting​

"Insufficient balance for shield"​

Ensure you have:

  • Amount to shield
  • Fee for transaction (~0.01 NAM)

"Shield failed"​

  1. Check network status
  2. Try again with lower amount
  3. Ensure wallet is synced

"Shielded balance not showing"​

  1. Wait a few seconds
  2. Refresh wallet
  3. Check you're viewing shielded section

"Can't shield IBC token"​

  1. Verify token is supported
  2. Check token denomination
  3. Ensure sufficient NAM for fees

Understanding the MASP​

The Multi-Asset Shielded Pool works by:

  1. Hiding sender - zk-proofs hide who sent
  2. Hiding receiver - zk-proofs hide who receives
  3. Hiding amount - Encrypted values
  4. Breaking links - No transaction graph

Learn more: MASP Explained

FAQ​

How much should I shield?​

Shield as much as you're comfortable with. Keep some NAM unshielded for fees.

Can I shield from exchange?​

No, exchanges don't support shielded addresses. Withdraw to transparent, then shield yourself.

Are shielded assets safe?​

Yes! They're protected by the same cryptography as transparent assets, plus privacy.

Can I unshield anytime?​

Yes, you can unshield whenever you want. See Unshield Assets.

Next Steps​