What is ZeroLayer?

ZeroLayer is a privacy protocol that allows any ERC-20 token on EVM-compatible chains to become a native privacy asset. Think of it as a privacy layer that can wrap any existing token, giving it the powerful anonymity features famously pioneered by Zcash.

At its core, ZeroLayer transforms standard, transparent tokens into shielded tokens that can be transacted, stored, and used without revealing any details on the public blockchain. The sender, receiver, and amount of every transaction are completely encrypted, yet the protocol can still verify the validity of each transaction using the magic of zero-knowledge proofs.

The Concept of Native Privacy Assets

Unlike traditional mixers that temporarily obscure the history of a token, ZeroLayer creates a new kind of asset where privacy is a fundamental, built-in property.

When you "shield" a token with ZeroLayer, you are essentially minting a new, private version of that token that lives within the ZeroLayer system. This new asset, standardized as a ZRC-20 token, is designed from the ground up for privacy. It can be freely traded with other ZeroLayer users with complete anonymity. When you need to interact with the public ecosystem again, you can simply "unshield" it, converting it back to its original ERC-20 form.

This "native privacy" approach provides a much stronger and more robust anonymity guarantee, making ZeroLayer a foundational piece of infrastructure for a truly private on-chain economy.