Railgun (Privacy Layer) vs. Incognito (Privacy Layer)

Deployed on 10+ major chains including Ethereum, Arbitrum, Polygon, and BSC. This matters for protocols needing cross-chain privacy without bridging assets. Uses zk-SNARKs to shield transactions directly on the host chain's L1/L2, inheriting its security.

Private smart contract interactions via its Relayer network. This matters for private swaps, lending, and yield farming. Protocols like Balancer and Uniswap can be accessed privately through the RAILGUN SDK, shielding wallet balances and trading history.

Independent, UTXO-based Layer 1 blockchain with its own validators and consensus. This matters for maximum privacy isolation and predictable fee markets. All assets (pBTC, pETH) are privacy-wrapped representations, trading and staking occur on-chain.

Native privacy DEX and staking dashboard within its wallet. This matters for users seeking an all-in-one privacy suite. Trade any pAsset for another or stake PRV for rewards without leaving the shielded environment, simplifying the user journey.

Privacy-as-a-Service via SDK and API. This matters for teams embedding privacy into existing dApps. The no-KYC Relayer system handles gas, and smart contracts can be verified privately, enabling use cases like private DAO voting or salary payments.

1:1 privacy wrapping for any asset via its pNetwork bridge. This matters for privacy across diverse asset portfolios. Support extends beyond EVM chains to Bitcoin, Monero, and Binance Chain, creating a unified privacy pool for heterogeneous holdings.

Built-in Proof of Innocence and optional viewing keys for auditors. This matters for institutions or protocols that must provide selective transparency for compliance (e.g., OFAC sanctions screening) while maintaining user privacy.

Primary interface is a consumer mobile wallet for private trading and staking. This matters for targeting retail users who prioritize ease of use for private asset management over developer integration. Less emphasis on programmatic, contract-level privacy.

Built-in Proof-of-Innocence: The system allows users to generate a zero-knowledge proof that their funds are not from sanctioned addresses, enabling exchanges and institutions to integrate private transactions while adhering to regulatory requirements like OFAC compliance.

Requires third-party relayers: Users must pay a relayer fee in the native token to submit private transactions, adding a step and cost. This matters for mass-market dApps where seamless, gasless UX is critical. Direct submission is possible but requires holding the chain's native token for gas.

Privacy within the Railgun system: Assets must be deposited into the RAILGUN smart contract to become private. This creates a boundary; interacting with external DeFi protocols (e.g., Uniswap) from a private state requires a dedicated, privacy-preserving adapter, limiting composable DeFi opportunities.

Native privacy for any asset: Uses pTokens bridge to bring BTC, ETH, BNB, and others into the Incognito chain as privacy-native assets (pBTC, pETH). This is critical for Bitcoin and multi-chain holders who want to privately trade and transfer assets across ecosystems from a single wallet.

Relies on its own validator set: Security is not inherited from Ethereum or other major L1s. With ~400 validators, it presents a different trust assumption. This matters for institutional users who prioritize the maximal security of Ethereum's base layer over independent chain security.

Liquidity siloed on a sidechain: While assets can be bridged, private liquidity pools exist primarily within the Incognito chain (e.g., pUniswap). This limits arbitrage opportunities and deep liquidity compared to operating directly on high-TVL chains like Ethereum Mainnet or Arbitrum.