Shield
Zcash Chrome Extension Wallet
The problem Shield solves
The Problem It Solves
Every crypto transaction you make is permanently public. Your balances, trades, and financial history are visible to anyone—creating risks from front-running and MEV attacks to targeted theft and financial surveillance.
No browser wallet offers true privacy for DeFi. Existing solutions are transparent by default, exposing your entire financial life on-chain.
What It Enables
🔐 First-of-Its-Kind Zcash Browser Extension
- Native shielded transactions built into Chrome
- Bank-level privacy without leaving your browser
- No command-line tools or technical expertise required
💰 Complete Zcash Wallet Functionality
- Store, send, and receive ZEC with full privacy protection
- Manage both shielded and transparent addresses
- One-click access to private transactions
🌉 Private DeFi Through L2 & Cross-Chain Integrations
- Connect to privacy-focused L2s (Starknet, zkSync) for scalable private transactions
- Bridge assets across chains without exposing transaction history
- Access DEX swaps, liquidity pools, and NFT markets—all with privacy intact
Finally: DeFi with the financial privacy of cash, accessible from any browser.
Challenges we ran into
Challenges I Ran Into
Node Setup & Docker Configuration Hell
The biggest hurdle was getting a working Zcash node running locally. I initially hit a wall with
zcashd
requiring very specific Docker configurations—the standard setup instructions weren't cutting it, and I spent hours debugging container networking and volume mounting issues.The Zebra Migration Confusion
To make things worse, I came across documentation about Zcash's migration to Zebra and incorrectly assumed
zcashd
was being deprecated or wouldn't work for new projects. This sent me down a rabbit hole trying to integrate Zebra with my backend instead.Failed Zebra Integration Attempt
I spent significant time trying to get Zebra working with my backend RPC calls, but kept running into compatibility issues and incomplete documentation for the specific RPC methods I needed for shielded transactions. Nothing was connecting properly.
The Pivot That Worked
Finally, I stepped back and realized
zcashd
was still fully supported. I:- Created a proper Docker setup with the right configuration flags
- Switched my backend integration back to
zcashd
- Connected everything through RPC
Voilà—it started working. Sometimes the solution is going back to what you know works rather than chasing the shiny new thing. Lesson learned: validate migration timelines before abandoning working tools.
Tracks Applied (6)
Self-Custody & Wallet Innovation
Osmosis
Private DeFi & Trading
Zcash Community Grants
Self-Custody & Wallet Innovation
Unstoppable Wallet
Generic Bounty
Mintlify
General Bounty
Project Tachyon
Private Payments & Transactions
Star Fun
Technologies used