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Unshield Assets

Unshielding moves assets from your shielded address (znam) back to a transparent address (tnam), making them publicly visible again.

Time & Difficulty

⏱️ 2 minutes | 🎯 Difficulty: Beginner

When to Unshield​

You might need to unshield for:

  • 💱 Exchange deposits - CEXs require transparent addresses
  • 🌉 IBC transfers - Moving to other Cosmos chains
  • 🧾 Proving holdings - Tax reporting, verification
  • 🏦 DeFi protocols - If requiring transparent balances

Privacy Considerations​

Unshielding Reduces Privacy

When you unshield:

  • The amount becomes visible
  • The destination address is public
  • The timing is recorded

Plan your unshielding to minimize information leakage.

Best Practices​

  1. Unshield only what you need - Keep the rest shielded
  2. Use round amounts - 100, 500, not 347.89
  3. Don't unshield immediately after shielding - Wait some time
  4. Unshield to new addresses - Don't reuse transparent addresses

Unshield Using Namada Extension​

Step 1: Access Shielded Assets​

  1. Open Namada Extension
  2. View your shielded balance
  3. Click Unshield or Send

Step 2: Configure Unshield​

  1. Select asset to unshield
  2. Enter amount
  3. Enter destination tnam address
    • Your own transparent address, OR
    • Another transparent address

Step 3: Confirm​

  1. Review transaction details:

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

  2. Click Confirm

  3. Wait for confirmation

Unshield Using CLI​

Basic Unshield (to yourself)​

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

Unshield to Specific Address​

namadac transfer \
  --source my-wallet \
  --target tnam1recipient... \
  --token NAM \
  --amount 100 \
  --unshielded

Unshield Different Assets​

# Unshield ATOM
namadac transfer \
  --source my-wallet \
  --target my-wallet \
  --token ATOM \
  --amount 50 \
  --unshielded

Fees​

ActionApproximate Fee
Unshield to self~0.01 NAM
Unshield to other~0.01 NAM

Fees are paid from your shielded balance.

Transaction Time​

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

After Unshielding​

Your assets are now transparent. You can:

  • Send to exchanges
  • IBC transfer to other chains
  • Use in transparent DeFi
  • Prove holdings for verification

Partial vs Full Unshield​

Partial Unshield​

Keep some assets shielded:

Shielded: 1000 NAM
Unshield: 200 NAM
Remaining shielded: 800 NAM

Full Unshield​

Move everything:

namadac transfer \
  --source my-wallet \
  --target my-wallet \
  --token NAM \
  --amount 1000 \
  --unshielded
Keep Shielded Balance

Even if you need transparent funds, consider keeping some assets shielded for privacy and continued rewards.

Unshield for Exchange Deposit​

Common workflow for exchange deposits:

1. Unshield to your transparent address
2. Verify receipt in transparent balance
3. Send from transparent to exchange
4. Confirm on exchange

Why two steps?

  • Exchanges need transparent addresses
  • Direct unshield to exchange works but adds complexity
  • Intermediate step allows verification

Troubleshooting​

"Insufficient shielded balance"​

Check your shielded balance:

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

Remember to account for fees.

"Unshield transaction failed"​

  1. Verify you have enough for amount + fee
  2. Check network status
  3. Try smaller amount first
  4. Wait and retry

"Balance not appearing after unshield"​

  1. Wait for confirmation
  2. Check transparent balance (not shielded)
  3. Verify on block explorer

"Wrong destination address"​

Transactions are irreversible. Always:

  • Double-check addresses
  • Test with small amounts
  • Verify recipient before large unshields

Privacy Impact Analysis​

Consider what unshielding reveals:

InformationVisibility
Amount unshieldedPublic
Destination addressPublic
TimestampPublic
Source in shielded poolHidden
Previous shielded transactionsHidden

Minimizing Information Leakage​

Less Private:

Shield 1000 NAM → Immediately unshield 1000 NAM

More Private:

Shield 1000 NAM → Wait days/weeks → Unshield 500 NAM

FAQ​

Does unshielding stop rewards?​

Yes, only shielded assets earn shielded rewards. Unshielded assets don't earn these rewards.

Can I unshield to any address?​

Yes, you can unshield to:

  • Your own transparent address
  • Someone else's transparent address
  • Exchange deposit address

Is unshielding reversible?​

The unshield itself isn't reversible, but you can shield the assets again after unshielding.

How much should I unshield?​

Only unshield what you need. Keep the rest shielded for privacy and rewards.

Flow Diagram​

┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│                  SHIELDED POOL                      │
│  ╔═══════════════════════════════════════════════╗  │
│  ║  znam1...  ───────────────────────────────────║  │
│  ║     │                                         ║  │
│  ║     │ Unshield                                ║  │
│  ║     ▼                                         ║  │
│  ╚═══════════════════════════════════════════════╝  │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
                        │
                        ▼
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│                  TRANSPARENT                        │
│                                                     │
│    tnam1...  ← 100 NAM (now visible on explorer)   │
│        │                                            │
│        └──→ Exchange, IBC, DeFi, etc.              │
│                                                     │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘