zerokn0wledge

Privacy project map: ZK-based chains vs TEE-based networks

Thread340 words

Groups privacy projects by technique: ZK-powered ones (Aleo, Manta, Mina, Aztec, Dusk, Zcash, Railgun) versus TEE-based ones (Secret Network, Oasis Cipher ParaTime), linking prior deep dives for each.

Key claims
Railgun is a set of smart contracts rather than an L2
Secret and Oasis use trusted execution environments
Oasis Cipher is an optimistic rollup-style ParaTime
0/ I have covered many privacy-focused projects in one way or the other since I've started my Twitter journey ๐Ÿฅทโœจ a thread of threads featuring $ALEO, $MANTA, $MINA, $AZTEC, $DUSK, $ZEC, $RAIL, $SCRT & $ROSE (0/13) ๐Ÿงต๐Ÿ‘‡ 1/ let's quickly remind ourselves why #privacy matters ๐Ÿ‘‡ x.com/expctchaos/status/1484546235549822978 2/ so, let's have a look at the projects that enable privacy on public blockchains. Many of them rely on #zk technology, so it might be worth revisiting the below thread ๐Ÿ‘‡ x.com/expctchaos/status/1611398681890283521 3/ let's start with @AleoHQ, a programmable #zk-powered L1 that natively supports #privacy ๐Ÿ‘‡ x.com/expctchaos/status/1612826679306760192 4/ next up @MantaNetwork, the zk-powered #privacy hub for the #Polkadot ecosystem, which I have covered in the two below threads ๐Ÿ‘‡ x.com/expctchaos/status/1612958969709961217 x.com/expctchaos/status/1486383616447889409 5/ another one of my favourites is @MinaProtocol, a succinct blockchain powered by #zk-proofs ๐Ÿ‘‡ x.com/expctchaos/status/1611718198579335169 6/ @aztecnetwork is one of the most powerful use cases, not only supporting private txs on #L2 but also bringing #privacy directly to $ETH L1 apps via #AztecConnect ๐Ÿ‘‡ x.com/expctchaos/status/1613189029004181504 7/ @DuskFoundation is a #zk-powered L1 focused on providing the base layer for a compliant & #privacy-preserving #RegFi ecosystem ๐Ÿ‘‡ x.com/expctchaos/status/1486103606201921551 8/ the godfather of on-chain privacy is undoubtedly @zscash, which I have mentioned multiple times, but covered in most detail here ๐Ÿ‘‡ x.com/expctchaos/status/1611718179075821568 9/ similar to @aztecnetwork, @RAILGUN_Project enables private transactions and smart contract interactions. However, it is not a #L2 but rather a collection of smart contracts ๐Ÿ‘‡ x.com/expctchaos/status/1612360086344826882 10/ while all of these projects rely on zero knowledge proofs to enable #privacy, the last two projects in this thread make use of what is called trusted execution environments, a.k.a. #TEEs ๐Ÿ‘‡ x.com/expctchaos/status/1608402467217342465 11/ the most prominent example is probably @SecretNetwork, that enables private smart contracts & #DeFi using a #TEE infrastructure ๐Ÿ‘‡ x.com/expctchaos/status/1486014300527505408 12/ last but not least, @OasisProtocol also supports a Cipher ParaTime, which is a private & programmable execution layer, implemented as an optimistic #rollup on the $ROSE consensus layer ๐Ÿ‘‡ x.com/expctchaos/status/1537561249478651905 13/ so much exciting innovation out there ๐Ÿคฏ follow me for more on privacy & zk tech ๐Ÿฅทโœจ
Open on X

How the mapped assets moved ยท since 13 Jan 2023

Prices as of 23 Oct 2026

This is a landscape piece, not a set of calls. Price moves since publication are shown as market context.

Mapped in this piece ยท best to worst since
$ZECZcashsince publication+2,618%+527% vs BTC
$RAILRailgunsince publication+392%+14% vs BTC
$DUSKDUSKsince publication+15%โˆ’73% vs BTC
$AZTECAztecsince listing 13 Feb 2026โˆ’18%โˆ’34% vs BTC
$ROSEOasissince publicationโˆ’83%โˆ’96% vs BTC
$MINAMina Protocolsince publicationโˆ’86%โˆ’97% vs BTC
$MANTAManta Networksince listing 19 Jan 2024โˆ’97%โˆ’98% vs BTC
$ALEOALEOsince listing 20 Sep 2024โˆ’99%โˆ’99% vs BTC
$SCRTSecretsince publicationโˆ’99.1%โˆ’99.8% vs BTC
Since then

Maps are snapshots; see each asset's hub for later coverage.

Daily closes in USD from DefiLlama and Yahoo Finance. Only a bullish or bearish thesis is read as a call; explainers, maps and mentions are context. Not financial advice.

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