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Shield

Shielding moves ORB from your public balance into the pool as a new private note. It is the only operation your wallet signs and pays for, and the way into everything private.

Shield ORB​

  1. Open Shielded Pool and unlock the vault.
  2. Press Shield ORB.
  3. Enter the Amount, or press Max. Max fills in your public balance minus 0.01 ORB, kept for the network fee.
  4. Check the preview: Public → Private Note.
  5. Press Shield. The form closes and the proof job bar shows the progress.
  6. Approve the transaction in your wallet when the bar shows "Confirm in your wallet…".

When the transaction confirms, the note appears under Available in Notes, with Type Shield, and you can spend it straight away.

Before anything is sent, the app proves that the new note holds exactly the amount you deposit. See Shield Circuit.

What is public​

Shielding is a normal signed transaction from your account.

PublicPrivate
Your account, as the senderThe note's owner key and blinding
The amount and the asset (ORB)Where the note goes next
The network fee you payWhich later spend uses this note
The note's commitment and encrypted memo

The deposit itself is visible; the link between it and any later transfer or unshield is not. Details: Privacy Architecture.

Amount and timing still leak

Shielding 1,000 ORB and unshielding 1,000 ORB minutes later links the two by amount and timing. Let value rest in the pool, and avoid distinctive amounts.

Fee​

A shield has no spend fee. Your wallet pays the normal network fee from your public balance, which is why Max keeps 0.01 ORB back. The spend fee applies to transfers and unshields.

Errors​

MessageWhat to do
"Amount must be greater than zero."Enter a positive amount.
"More than your available balance."Lower the amount, or press Max.
"Connect a wallet to shield funds."Connect a wallet; shielding needs a signature.
"Not enough balance to pay the transaction fee."Leave room for the network fee.