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 — and figure out what still needs to be built.
10 protocols across 17 properties in 4 categories:
| Category | Properties |
|---|---|
| Privacy Model | Multi-asset privacy pool, Formally ZK proofs, Secretless (no per-note keys), 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 |
STRK20s (Starknet) · Zcash · Monero · Aztec · Aleo · Railgun · Solana Confidential · Canton · Tornado Cash · Zama (FHE)
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
- – — not present
All entries are backed by footnotes citing official documentation. If something is wrong, open an issue or PR with a source.
Live: welttowelt.github.io/privacy-protocol-analysis
The interactive website is in the docs/ directory. To run it locally:
cd docs
python3 -m http.server 8080pip install openpyxl
python privacy_grid_final.pyGenerates privacy_feature_grid.xlsx with 4 tabs:
| Tab | What it contains |
|---|---|
| Property Grid | Full technical overview with footnotes |
| Definitions & rationale | What each property means and how each protocol was evaluated |
| At a glance | 6 condensed properties for a non-technical audience |
| Definitions & rationale 2 | How the 6 summary properties map to the full 17 |
This grid is currently maintained by StarkWare employees. Contributions are open — anyone can submit issues and pull requests, and we review them on merit regardless of affiliation.
This grid is only as good as the community keeping it accurate. Contributions are welcome from anyone — protocol teams, researchers, users.
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