Encifher this week rewraps wrapped ZEC on Solana into encrypted zec called eZEC, aiming to restore asset-level privacy while keeping DeFi composability intact.
ZEC: What privacy gap does Encifher fill on Solana?
Wrapped ZEC issued via bridges becomes a standard SPL token and does not preserve Zcash’s on-chain concealment of balances and transfers. Encifher’s re-wrapping attempts to reintroduce asset-level confidentiality so users can hold and move private ZEC within Solana’s fast, low-cost environment. This mirrors similar privacy efforts seen in projects like ShapeShift: more privacy, speed, and self-custody at the heart of DeFi and ShapeShift and Zcash: A New Era for Privacy in Decentralized Trading.
What is eZEC and how does the encrypted token work?
eZEC is an encrypted wrapper produced by Encifher that stores balances in ciphertext and exposes cryptographic pointers on-chain. The design uses off-chain data availability for ciphertexts while on-chain programs validate proofs that swaps and transfers are correct without revealing amounts.
How do homomorphic encryption Solana and threshold elgamal encryption enable private swaps?
The protocol combines Fully Homomorphic Encryption (FHE) to compute on encrypted values with threshold ElGamal key-sharing so no single operator can decrypt user balances. In brief, this lets aggregators route and settle swaps while preserving confidentiality, but it may incur performance trade-offs that require independent audits. These cryptographic approaches are part of the ongoing conversation around blockchain privacy.
What market signals and integrations matter for private ZEC swaps?
Solana’s wrapped ZEC via the Zolana bridge launched on Oct. 16, 2025, and markets reacted strongly: CoinDesk reported ZEC rose 380% to $375 this month. Encifher says it has integrated with Jupiter to enable private, composable routing across DEX pools and improve liquidity depth.
Broader Solana developments have included milestones such as Nansen and Sanctum launch nxSOL: the new frontier of liquid staking on Solana and DEX innovation, which continue to expand the ecosystem’s DeFi possibilities.
Note: Encifher’s use of FHE and threshold ElGamal is reported by the project but awaits full technical disclosure and third‑party cryptographic audits; users should weigh privacy benefits against implementation risk.
