Concepts
What Zephyrium keeps private, how the chain is structured, and its current limits.
Zephyrium is a layer-1 chain where privacy is the default for transfers. It is a fork of Incognito Chain and uses the same transaction system; see Credits.
What is private
| Transfers of ZEP and tokens | Swaps on iDEX | Staking | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sender | Hidden in a ring of 8 | Hidden in a ring of 8 | Public |
| Receiver | One-time address | One-time address | Public |
| Amount | Hidden | Public | Public |
| Which token | Hidden for tokens in confidential-asset mode | Public | ZEP only |
Three mechanisms do the work:
- Ring signatures. A spend is signed by a ring of eight keys. One is the real spender; seven are decoys taken from the chain.
- One-time addresses. Every payment lands on a fresh address derived for that payment, so two payments to the same person look unrelated.
- Hidden amounts. Amounts are commitments. A range proof shows the amount is valid and that inputs equal outputs, without revealing the number.
How the chain is built
- Shards process transactions, token transfers and swaps. The devnet runs one shard.
- The beacon chain coordinates the shards: it records who the validators are, confirms shard blocks and carries messages between shards.
- Committees of validators sign blocks. A block is final when more than two thirds of the committee sign it.
- The highway is a relay that every node connects to. It introduces nodes to each other and forwards their messages.
Node types explains who runs each part.
Current limits
These are known and on the roadmap:
- Small rings with uniform decoys. Eight members, chosen without regard to coin age, is weaker than a larger, age-aware ring.
- Swap amounts are public. iDEX hides who trades, not how much or which pair.
- The highway is a single relay. It can see which address a transaction came from, and the chain stops if it is down.
- Fixed committee seats. On the devnet, 5 of 7 shard seats and all 4 beacon seats are held by fixed validators.
- Wallets share a viewing key with their node. A wallet registers a viewing key with the node it uses so the node can find its coins.
- No slashing penalty. A validator that misbehaves loses its seat and gets its stake back.