How to send Zcash (ZEC) privately
Open a shielded wallet, tap Send, paste the recipient's u1 or zs1 address, enter the amount and an optional memo, then confirm. A shielded-to-shielded payment hides sender, receiver, amount and memo, and usually costs 0.0001 ZEC.
Quick steps
- Open an updated shielded wallet. Use an Ironwood-ready wallet on its latest version and wait for sync to finish.
- Tap Send and add the address. Paste or scan the recipient's u1 or zs1 address and check its first and last characters.
- Enter the amount. Check that your spendable balance covers the amount plus the fee.
- Add a memo if needed. Write an optional encrypted memo; it only works for shielded recipients.
- Review and confirm. Check the fee, usually 0.0001 ZEC, and confirm. Transactions cannot be reversed.
Sending ZEC looks like sending any other coin, but the address you send from and to decides how private the payment is. Here is how to do it well in October 2026, after the Ironwood upgrade.
Who sees what
| From to | What is public on-chain |
|---|---|
| Shielded to shielded | Nothing about sender, receiver, amount or memo. Only that a transaction and its fee happened. |
| Transparent to shielded (shielding) | The sending address and the amount. |
| Shielded to transparent (unshielding) | The receiving address and the amount. |
| Transparent to transparent | Everything, like Bitcoin. |
For the best privacy, keep your funds shielded and send to shielded addresses. If your ZEC arrived on a transparent address, shield it first: see how to shield Zcash. For background, read shielded vs transparent.
Check the address type
| Starts with | Type | Memo? | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
u1 | Unified address | Yes (if a shielded receiver is used) | Your wallet picks the best receiver it supports. Since 28 July 2026 new shielded value goes to Ironwood; the address format did not change. |
zs1 | Sapling shielded | Yes | Still supported and private. |
t1 or t3 | Transparent | No | Amount and address are public. |
tex1 | TEX (ZIP 320) | No | Must be paid from transparent funds. From a shielded balance this takes two transactions. Used by some exchanges, Binance among them. |
Not sure? Paste the address into our address validator. It runs in your browser.
Sending step by step
- Update the wallet. Use an Ironwood-ready shielded wallet such as Zodl, Zingo!, Zkool or Cake Wallet, on its latest version.
- Let it sync. Your spendable balance is only accurate once syncing is complete.
- Tap Send and paste or scan the recipient's address. Saved contacts (Zodl has an address book under the ... menu, then More) avoid copy-paste errors.
- Check the first and last characters of the pasted address. Clipboard malware can swap addresses.
- Enter the amount. If the wallet shows "spendable" lower than your total, some funds still need confirmations, shielding or Ironwood migration.
- Add a memo if you want (shielded recipients only).
- Review the fee and confirm. You cannot reverse a sent transaction.
Menu labels differ between wallets and versions. If your app's screens look different, the same steps apply in the same order.
Encrypted memos
Shielded payments carry an encrypted memo field of up to 512 bytes. Only the recipient (and anyone holding their viewing key) can read it. Uses: invoice numbers, a note to a friend, or the memo an exchange requires.
- Memos cannot be sent to transparent or TEX addresses.
- Treat memos you receive as untrusted. Scammers use them for fake "support" messages and airdrop offers. Zcash has no airdrops.
Fees
Wallets follow the ZIP-317 fee rule: 5,000 zatoshi per logical action, with a minimum of two actions. A simple shielded payment therefore costs 0.0001 ZEC. Payments that combine many small incoming amounts, or many transparent inputs, cost more. Ironwood actions are counted like Orchard actions. Work it out with the fee calculator or read Zcash fees explained.
Confirmations and timing
Zcash currently targets one block every 75 seconds. Zodl treats incoming ZEC as spendable after 10 confirmations (about 12.5 minutes) and your own change after 3 (about 3.75 minutes). Exchanges set their own deposit confirmation counts.
NU7 changes the clock. The NU7 upgrade, planned for block 3,543,405 around 5 November 2026, cuts the target block time to 25 seconds, so the same number of confirmations should take about a third of the time. The height was agreed on 21 October 2026, but as of 24 October 2026 it had not activated and a delay was still possible. Update your wallet before activation. Estimate waits with the confirmation time tool.
Funds still in Orchard?
Since 28 July 2026 Orchard is withdraw-only. Funds there must pass through the turnstile into Ironwood, and the amount moved becomes public. Wallets like Cake count unmigrated Orchard funds as not yet available, and Cake advises waiting until migration finishes before sending a full balance. See Orchard to Ironwood migration.
Sending to an exchange
- Many exchanges give transparent (t1) or TEX (tex1) deposit addresses. The deposit amount becomes public, which is normal and lawful; the exchange already knows who you are.
- For a
tex1address, use a wallet that supports TEX, such as Zingo!. Others may reject the address. - Coinbase accepts deposits from shielded addresses but withdraws to transparent addresses only (Coinbase, October 2026).
- Send a small test first, and double-check the network is Zcash (ZEC), not a wrapped token on another chain.
Privacy habits that help
- Do not unshield the exact amount you just shielded. Matching amounts and timing can link transactions.
- Use a fresh shielded address for each service. Zodl rotates them automatically.
- Use Tor where the wallet offers it, so the light-wallet server does not see your IP address when you broadcast.
Frequently asked questions
How long does a Zcash transaction take?
A block is found about every 75 seconds today. Zodl makes incoming ZEC spendable after 10 confirmations, about 12.5 minutes. NU7, planned for around 5 November 2026, cuts the target to 25 seconds.
How much does it cost to send ZEC?
Wallets use the ZIP-317 rule: 5,000 zatoshi per logical action, minimum two actions. A simple shielded payment costs 0.0001 ZEC; larger or more complex transactions cost more.
Can I send ZEC to a transparent address from a shielded wallet?
Yes. The receiving address and amount become public, and memos are not supported. For tex1 addresses, use a wallet with TEX support.
Can I cancel a Zcash transaction?
No. Once broadcast and mined, a transaction cannot be reversed. A transaction that was never mined expires, and the funds return to your spendable balance.
Are Zcash memos private?
Yes. Memos on shielded payments are encrypted and only readable by the recipient or someone holding their viewing key.