Shielding & Unshielding
Shielding moves tokens from your public Ethereum address into the Railgun private pool. Once shielded, your balance is hidden from public observers. Unshielding is the reverse — it moves tokens back to a public address.
Both actions live in the Anonymize app, which you can reach from the main navigation.
The Anonymize App
At the top of the screen is a toggle that switches between Shield and Unshield modes. Shield is selected by default.
To select a token, tap the token input field. A selector opens showing all your assets across every supported network by default. You can narrow the list by filtering to a specific chain using the chain filter at the top of the selector.
Shielding
How to Shield
- Open the Anonymize app — the Shield/Unshield toggle defaults to Shield
- Tap the token input to open the asset selector
- Filter by chain if needed, or browse all networks; select the token you want to shield
- Enter the amount
- Review the fee summary
- Confirm and authenticate
Anon builds and signs the shield transaction, submits it on-chain, and monitors for confirmation. After confirmation, wallet synchronization updates the private balance. Additional privacy checks may be needed before funds become spendable.
Shield Fees
| Fee | What it covers |
|---|---|
| Gas fee | Network gas for the on-chain transaction, paid according to the selected delivery method |
| Railgun protocol fee | A small percentage (0.25%) taken by the Railgun protocol treasury |
The protocol fee exists to fund ongoing development of the Railgun contracts and audits. It is non-negotiable and applies to all shields.
Minimum Shield Amount
There is no hard minimum, but shielding very small amounts is not recommended because:
- Gas costs may exceed the value being shielded
- Unique round amounts can be used as fingerprints
Time to Confirmation
- Confirmation time depends on the network, congestion, and submitted gas settings
- A confirmed transaction may still need wallet synchronization
- Spendability checks can take longer than transaction confirmation
Unshielding
How to Unshield
- Open the Anonymize app and toggle to Unshield
- Tap the token input and select the token from your private balance (filter by chain if needed)
- Enter the amount to unshield
- Review fees
- Confirm and authenticate
Anon generates a zero-knowledge proof that you own the notes you're spending, then submits it using the selected delivery method. A broadcaster changes the on-chain sender but does not guarantee IP anonymity. The public recipient and amount are visible.
Unshield Fees
| Fee | What it covers |
|---|---|
| Broadcaster fee | Paid to the broadcaster who submits the transaction; comes from your shielded balance |
| Gas fee | Network gas under the selected delivery method; a broadcaster includes its gas cost in the quote |
| Railgun protocol fee | 0.25% of the amount unshielded |
When a broadcaster or paymaster pays gas, fees are charged according to the selected quote. Self-broadcast requires public gas funds. Check the selected method before confirming.
Supported Tokens
Check the asset selector for token availability on the selected network. Common tokens include ETH (as WETH), USDC, USDT, DAI, WBTC, and many others. The token selector shows only supported tokens.