Zero

Kaspa

<p>Kaspa (<a href="https://x.com/kaspaunchained" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">@kaspaunchained</a>) developer Olaf Weller (<a href="https://x.com/WellerOlaf" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">@WellerOlaf</a>) says a proof of concept for shielded native <a href="https://x.com/search?q=%24KAS&amp;src=cashtag_click" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">$KAS</a> has been completed on testnet TN10. The tests showed transaction ordering, zero knowledge proof execution and proof-based settlement on Kaspa Layer 1.</p>
<p>Weller stressed that the system has not been independently audited and is not yet a finished privacy protocol. The result is a research milestone on a test network, not a feature available to mainnet users.</p>
<h2 id="what-the-proof-of-concept-covers">What the proof of concept covers</h2>
<p>The work is part of the Kaspa Privacy Initiative, a repository Weller maintains. According to the project page, it is researching permissionless, optional privacy for native KAS, and is limited to research and testnet validation, with no production protocol or new token.</p>
<p>The project's design is based on users depositing native KAS into a settlement covenant, then making private transfers inside a shielded state using commitments, nullifiers and a zero knowledge proof. Users can later withdraw to native KAS. The repository's example is that if 10,000 KAS is shielded, the public network may see the deposit, but later private payments inside the shielded domain should not require matching public KAS movements.</p>
<p>A related pull request on the repository describes a live TN10 test in which a real Groth16 BN254 proof released a funded native test-KAS reserve. The pull request notes that this stage did not include notes, nullifiers, private transfers or anonymity. Those are the pieces developers now plan to design, along with the zero knowledge proof rules for shielded payments.</p>
<h2 id="why-kaspa-can-attempt-this">Why Kaspa can attempt this</h2>
<p>The experiment builds on Kaspa's Toccata hard fork. According to Kaspa Explained, Toccata activated on mainnet on June 30, 2026, and added Layer 1 covenants, covenant IDs, ZK proof hooks and sequencing commitments. Cointribune likewise reports that the upgrade brought ZK verification opcodes and the SilverScript compiler to the network.</p>
<p>Zero knowledge proofs let one party show that a computation was done correctly without revealing the underlying data, which makes them a common building block for privacy tools. Having verification at the protocol level gives developers a base to build on, though a working private payment system requires considerably more design, testing and review.</p>
<p>The next steps, including private note design and proof rules, will determine whether the concept can progress beyond a testnet demonstration. Until an independent audit is completed, the results should be treated as early-stage research.</p>
<h2 id="sources">Sources</h2>
<p><a href="https://github.com/olafweller/kaspa-privacy-initiative" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">Kaspa Privacy Initiative repository</a><br><a href="https://github.com/olafweller/kaspa-privacy-initiative/pull/20" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">PoC A0/A0.5 pull request on TN10</a><br><a href="https://kaspaexplained.com/toccata-status" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">Kaspa Explained: Toccata status</a></p>

Kaspa Developer Completes Key Step Toward Private KAS Payments

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