Privacy Pools
Privacy tools
Privacy Pools is a non-custodial protocol for private transfers, swaps, and yield. V2 uses zero-knowledge proofs to conceal activity within a shielded pool, while screening deposits for compliance.
- Best for
- Private transfers and DeFi activity with deposit screening.
- Key limitation
- A centralized screening provider can reject or revoke deposits' eligibility for private transactions.
View details
- What it protects
- The public link between deposits and withdrawals. V2 also hides the sender, recipient, and amount of transfers within the shielded pool.
- Who can observe your activity
- Public observers can see deposits and withdrawals but not the private activity between them. 0xbow operates the screening service, while independent relayers submit private transactions. Users can operate their own relayer and use anon-RPC to reduce network metadata exposure.
- Privacy mechanism
- Zero-knowledge proofs allow users to transact with shielded balances without revealing which deposits fund their transactions. V2 supports private transfers, swaps, and Aave yield. V1 only supports deposits and withdrawals.
- Trust assumptions
- 0xbow operates the Association Set Provider (ASP), which approves deposits and can revoke their eligibility for private spending. L2BEAT currently reports that a single administrative key can upgrade V2's core contracts without delay. According to 0xbow, this is a temporary emergency arrangement, with a multisig planned for October 26, 2026, and a two-week upgrade delay planned for approximately one month later. These changes are not yet confirmed as implemented.
- What remains visible
- Deposit and withdrawal addresses, assets, amounts, and timing remain public. This metadata can enable correlation. Users can exit without ASP approval through a public "ragequit", but doing so reveals the originating deposit.
- KYC requirements
- No identity verification is required by default. Deposits undergo screening and may be rejected.
- Supported networks
- Ethereum, Arbitrum, Base, Optimism, BNB Chain, Robinhood Chain, and Citrea. Supported assets, swaps, and yield opportunities vary by network.
- Additional considerations
- Privacy depends partly on the anonymity set and user behavior. V2 launched in October 2026, so its real-world privacy has limited history. Earlier research by Ethereum Privacy Tools found that address reuse and distinctive transaction amounts weakened privacy for some V1 users.