Today, Zashi CrossPay brings Zcash’s mathematically provable, best-in-class privacy to crypto payments across blockchains. Anyone holding shielded ZEC can now send payments privately in any NEAR-supported cryptocurrency.
CrossPay is the most significant step yet in Zashi’s mission to normalize private payments.
The Problem:
Until now, sending crypto payments usually meant giving up privacy. Most popular blockchains only create an illusion of privacy. Wallet addresses may look like random strings, but they’re permanent identifiers: all past and future transactions can be traced and tied to wallet owners by blockchain surveillance companies and anyone with access to a free block explorer site. Payment details (who paid whom, how much, and when) are stored publicly forever. That data can be combined with off-chain information (like exchange records or IP addresses) to reveal your real-life identity and financial behavior. This is dangerous.
Zcashers have always understood the implications of using other blockchains, but if they needed to make a payment in a different cryptocurrency, they had only two options:
- Buy the currency the recipient wants and transact on a public chain.
- Or try to convince the other person to take shielded ZEC.
Neither option worked well. Buying the target coin typically involves using a centralized exchange, providing personal information, and then leaving a permanent trail on a public ledger to complete the payment. At the same time, asking someone to switch to Zcash can be a heavy lift, especially when the other side has fixed policies on preferred cryptocurrencies, e.g. stablecoins.
The Solution: Zcash + Zashi + CrossPay
Zcash is a blockchain that offers cryptographically guaranteed privacy. Zashi is a Zcash-powered self-custody wallet built by the privacy-obsessed developers of the Zcash protocol. We go out of our way to know as little as possible about Zashi users and minimize metadata leakage.
With Zashi CrossPay, that same privacy-first foundation now powers payments across chains:
- Direct, frictionless payments from shielded ZEC to any popular cryptocurrency. No need to touch any other app or exchange.
- Any cryptocurrency can be paid privately: stablecoins, BTC, ETH, SOL, or any other NEAR-supported cryptocurrency. Your privacy is protected regardless of the cryptocurrency your recipient prefers. Their choices don’t have to compromise your security.
How It Works:
- Open Zashi and click the Pay button.
- Choose the cryptocurrency your recipient wants to receive.
- Enter the destination wallet address and the target token amount, review, and confirm.
Zashi and NEAR Intents will handle the rest: your shielded ZEC will be used to cover the payment and fees, NEAR will swap your ZEC under the hood, and your recipient will receive the exact amount you indicated in their chosen cryptocurrency.
Note: If you’re new to Zashi, start by downloading the app and funding it with ZEC. Use Zashi’s Coinbase integration to get ZEC in minutes using a debit card (USA only) or your Coinbase account.
This release is a milestone for Zcash as its shielded technology continues to extend beyond our community, protecting anyone who wants to make a cryptocurrency payment without compromising their privacy.
Welcome to the next era of private payments. Shields up, everybody.
Happy transacting.
