Security Guarantees
The security of the ZeroLayer protocol is paramount and is built on a foundation of proven cryptographic principles and a trust-minimized architecture.
Non-Custodial by Design
You are always in control of your funds.
- User-Held Keys: All private keys—both for your main wallet and your ZeroLayer privacy identity—are managed by you and never leave your device. The protocol cannot access, freeze, or move your funds without your explicit authorization.
- Trustless Smart Contracts: The on-chain smart contracts are designed to be autonomous and impartial. They act as verifiers of mathematical proofs, not as trusted intermediaries. The logic is transparent and can be audited by anyone.
Cryptographically Secure
The privacy and integrity of the system are not based on trust, but on mathematical certainty.
- Transaction Privacy: The confidentiality of your transactions is protected by the zk-SNARKs. It is computationally infeasible for an outside observer to determine the sender, receiver, or amount of a shielded transaction.
- Double-Spend Prevention: The nullifier system ensures that each private "note" can only be spent once. The smart contract strictly enforces this rule, making double-spending impossible.
- Value Conservation: The zero-knowledge circuits mathematically enforce that the total value of the input notes in any transaction must equal the total value of the output notes. This prevents anyone—including the user making the transaction—from creating value out of thin air.
Decentralized and Permissionless
ZeroLayer is designed to be a public good for the blockchain ecosystem.
- No Central Points of Failure: The protocol does not rely on any centralized servers for its core operations. As long as the underlying blockchain is running, ZeroLayer is available.
- Permissionless Access: Anyone can use the protocol to shield tokens and transact privately. There are no gatekeepers or KYC requirements for using the core privacy features.