What is a shielded pool?
A shielded pool keeps transaction addresses and amounts private while the network still checks that transfers are valid.
Version 1
GlossaryA shielded pool lets people move crypto without showing the sender, recipient and amount to the public.
Imagine cash entering a private room through a door with a counter. People outside can see how much entered the room, but they cannot see who passed it around inside. They may later see money leave, but they cannot automatically connect that exit to one earlier entry.
A little more technical
Zcash uses zero-knowledge proofs so network nodes can verify that a shielded transfer follows the rules without publishing its private transaction details. Values entering and leaving the pool remain visible at the boundary.
Common misunderstanding
Shielded does not mean invisible to every participant or impossible to investigate. Wallet records, mistakes, exchange data and later public activity can still provide evidence. The blockchain alone does not expose the full internal path.