An open overview of privacy protocols in crypto. Who is building what, and how each approach works.
This grid exists so that builders, researchers, and users can see where things stand across the ecosystem — honestly, with sources listed in footnotes — and figure out what still needs to be built.
15 protocols across 17 properties in 4 categories:
| Category | Properties |
|---|---|
| Privacy Model | Multi-asset privacy pool, Formally ZK proofs, No user-managed note secrets, Efficient note discovery, Selective disclosure |
| Cryptographic Foundation | No trusted setup, Post-quantum proof system, Succinct verifiability |
| Performance & UX | Fast shield/unshield, End-to-end transaction time, Scalable private transactions, Programmable privacy |
| Ecosystem & Access | DeFi composability, Existing ecosystem, EVM compatible, Account abstraction, Hardware wallet support |
STRK20 (Starknet) · Tongo (Starknet) · Zcash · Monero · Aztec · Aleo · Railgun · Solana Confidential · Canton · Tornado Cash · Zama (FHE) · Tempo · Midnight · USX Private Transfer · Privacy Boost
Missing a protocol? Open a PR to add it.
Every cell is one of three values:
- ✓ — has this capability
- (✓) — partially, with a footnote explaining the caveat and listing sources
- – — not present
Entries are backed by footnotes with listed sources. If something is wrong, open an issue or PR with a source.
Live: privacygrid.dev
The interactive website lives in the docs/ directory.
docs/data.js is the source of truth for the grid data, footnotes, source links, and definitions.
To run it locally:
cd docs
python3 -m http.server 8080To validate the grid data before opening a PR, run this from the repo root:
node scripts/validate-data.jsSome contributors are StarkWare-affiliated. The project is open to outside issues and pull requests.
Thanks to lucadonnoh for pointing out that calling Tornado Cash "defunct" was too strong.
Thanks to Micah Zoltu for pointing out that the Tornado Cash row overstated the legacy framing and understated ecosystem, selective-disclosure, and wallet support.
Thanks to the PSE private-transfers-benchmarks team for the Tongo confidentiality-vs-anonymity distinction.
Thanks to zkSecurity for the public Tongo audit report used in the Tongo cryptography footnotes.
This grid is only as good as the evidence behind it. External contributions are welcome from protocol teams, researchers, and users, with changes reviewed before they are merged.
See CONTRIBUTING.md for guidelines.
- Fix an entry — If something is wrong, open a PR with sources
- Add a protocol — Add a new row with all 17 properties documented and sourced
- Add a property — Propose a new column via an issue first to discuss whether it belongs
- Improve definitions — Make the rationale clearer or more precise
- Update a caveat — If a partial tick should be full (or vice versa), make the case with evidence
MIT