FAQ

This section answers some of the most frequently asked questions about the ZeroLayer protocol.

General

Q: How is ZeroLayer different from a mixer like Tornado Cash?

A: Mixers provide a one-time privacy break by co-mingling funds in a large pool. Your privacy depends on the size of that pool. ZeroLayer is fundamentally different. It creates new, inherently private assets (ZRC-20s) where privacy is guaranteed by cryptography (zk-SNARKs), not by the size of an anonymity set. Once you shield a token, you can transfer it privately multiple times without ever losing your privacy guarantee.

Q: Is ZeroLayer a Layer 2 (L2) solution?

A: No, ZeroLayer is a privacy protocol that operates directly on Layer 1 (L1) or Layer 2 blockchains. It is a set of smart contracts and a client-side application, not a separate blockchain or rollup.

Q: Which chains does ZeroLayer support?

A: ZeroLayer is currently deployed on Base, an Ethereum Layer 2 network. While the protocol's architecture is designed to be multi-chain compatible with any EVM-based network, the current production deployment is on Base.

Security

Q: Is ZeroLayer custodial? Do you hold my funds?

A: No. ZeroLayer is completely non-custodial. Your funds are held in a public, auditable smart contract and can only be moved by you. Your private keys never leave your own wallet and are never seen by the protocol.

Q: What happens if the ZeroLayer website goes down?

A: Because the protocol is a set of decentralized smart contracts, your funds remain secure on the blockchain. As long as you have your wallet's seed phrase, you will always be able to access your funds. An open-source client can always be used to interact with the contracts directly.

Q: Do I need to back up a new seed phrase for my privacy key?

A: No. Your ZeroLayer privacy key is deterministically derived from a signature from your main wallet (e.g., MetaMask). As long as you have access to your main wallet, you can always re-derive your privacy key. This means you only need to worry about backing up your one main seed phrase.

Usage

Q: Can I send private tokens to a regular Ethereum address (0x...)?

A: No. Private transfers can only be sent to other ZeroLayer privacy addresses (pv1...). To send funds to a regular address, you must first use the "Unshield" function to convert your private tokens back to their public ERC-20 form.

Q: Why do I need to "Sync" my wallet?

A: Your private balance and transaction history are not stored on any central server. They are computed locally by your client by scanning the blockchain for encrypted events that belong to you. The "Sync" process is how your wallet stays up-to-date with the latest on-chain state, allowing it to discover new incoming funds and correctly calculate your current private balance.

Q: Is there a limit to how much I can shield or transfer?

A: The protocol itself does not impose a limit on the value you can transact with. However, the underlying zero-knowledge proof system has a constraint on the number of input notes that can be spent in a single transaction (typically two). This means that a single transfer cannot be for an amount that is larger than the sum of your two largest available private notes. The client application helps manage this for you.