Privacy Cryptocurrencies Explained
We accept donations in cryptocurrencies that protect your privacy by default. This page explains why we choose privacy-preserving protocols and how each technology works.
Why Privacy Matters for Donations
Traditional cryptocurrency transactions (standard Bitcoin, Litecoin, Ethereum) are permanently public. Anyone can see:
- Exact donation amounts
- Your wallet balance
- Every transaction you’ve ever made
- Addresses you’ve interacted with
- When you made each transaction
This creates several problems:
For donors:
- Your financial privacy is exposed
- Future transactions can be linked to your identity
- Targeted attacks based on wallet holdings
- Personal safety risks (especially for large donations)
For recipients:
- Donation amounts publicly visible
- Funding sources exposed
- Potential targeting by adversaries
- Privacy of other donors compromised
Privacy-preserving cryptocurrencies solve these problems through cryptographic techniques that hide transaction details while maintaining network security and verifiability.
Monero
The gold standard for private transactions.
What is Monero?
Monero (XMR) is a cryptocurrency designed from the ground up for privacy. Unlike Bitcoin, where privacy features are optional add-ons, Monero makes privacy mandatory for every transaction.
How Monero Protects Your Privacy
Ring Signatures:
- Your transaction is cryptographically mixed with 15 others
- Observers can’t tell which of the 16 signatures is actually yours
- Creates plausible deniability for every transaction
Stealth Addresses:
- Every payment generates a one-time destination address
- Even if you publish your Monero address publicly, no one can see incoming transactions
- Your balance remains completely hidden
Ring Confidential Transactions (RingCT):
- Transaction amounts are encrypted
- Network validators can verify transactions are valid without seeing amounts
- No one can see how much you sent or received
Dandelion++:
- Obscures the IP address that originated a transaction
- Protects against network-level surveillance
- Breaks the link between transactions and network activity
Why We Prefer Monero
- Privacy by default - No configuration needed, every transaction is private
- Fungible - All Monero is equal; no “tainted” coins that can be traced or rejected
- No rich lists - Nobody can see anyone’s balance or transaction history
- Mature technology - Launched in 2014, battle-tested and audited
- Strong community - Active development and privacy-focused user base
Monero Wallets
Desktop:
- Monero GUI Wallet - Official wallet (recommended for beginners)
- Feather Wallet - Lightweight, feature-rich
Mobile:
- Cake Wallet - iOS and Android, excellent UX
- Monerujo - Android only, open source
Hardware:
Learn More About Monero
- Official Website
- Monero Documentation
- Mastering Monero Book - Free comprehensive guide
- r/Monero - Community support
Bitcoin Silent Payments
Bitcoin with privacy—no address reuse, fully silent, completely native.
What are Silent Payments?
Silent Payments (BIP-352) is a Bitcoin protocol upgrade that enables private, reusable payment addresses. It solves one of Bitcoin’s biggest privacy problems: address reuse.
The Address Reuse Problem
Traditional Bitcoin workflows:
- You publish your Bitcoin address publicly
- Every donation to that address is visible on the blockchain
- Anyone can see all payments and your total balance
- Your financial privacy is completely exposed
Previous solutions (like BIP47 “Reusable Payment Codes”) required:
- A notification transaction (visible on-chain)
- Interaction between sender and recipient
- Complex wallet support
- Additional blockchain bloat
How Silent Payments Work
Silent Payments use stealth addresses:
- You publish a single Silent Payment address (starts with
sp1...) - When someone pays you, their wallet:
- Derives a unique one-time address using cryptographic magic
- Sends Bitcoin to that unique address
- Only you (with your private key) can detect and spend it
- Every payment creates a different on-chain address
- No notification transaction needed
- Completely silent and private
Benefits:
- No address reuse - Every payment uses a unique address
- No notification transaction - Unlike BIP47, fully silent
- Reusable address - One address for all donations, privacy intact
- Native Bitcoin - No second layer, no external coordination
- Donor privacy - Payments can’t be linked to your published address
Why Silent Payments Instead of Regular Bitcoin?
Silent Payments is regular Bitcoin—it’s just Bitcoin with privacy best practices built-in.
Think of it like this:
- Regular Bitcoin address = Publishing your bank statements publicly
- Silent Payments = Having private bank account with public donation button
Same network, same security, better privacy.
Silent Payment Wallets
⚠️ Warning: Silent Payments are new (2024 specification). Wallet support is growing but limited.
Desktop:
- Sparrow Wallet - Best Silent Payment support (as of 2024)
- More wallets adding support in 2025
Mobile:
- Cake Wallet - Adding Silent Payment support
- Check wallet documentation for current support
Not Yet Supported:
- Hardware wallets (in development)
- Most major wallets (actively being added)
Learn More About Silent Payments
Litecoin MWEB
Litecoin with Mimblewimble privacy—confidential transactions, hidden addresses.
What is MWEB?
MWEB (Mimblewimble Extension Blocks) is a privacy upgrade to Litecoin activated in May 2022. It adds optional privacy to Litecoin transactions using Mimblewimble protocol.
What is Mimblewimble?
Mimblewimble is a blockchain protocol designed by an anonymous developer (Tom Elvis Jedusor, aka Voldemort) in 2016. It provides:
- Confidential transactions - Amounts hidden using Pedersen commitments
- No addresses on chain - Uses blinded addresses
- Cut-through - Old transaction data can be pruned
- Compact blockchain - More efficient than traditional chains
How MWEB Works on Litecoin
Litecoin uses extension blocks to add Mimblewimble:
- Regular Litecoin operates normally (transparent blockchain)
- Users can “peg in” coins to MWEB extension blocks
- While in MWEB:
- Transaction amounts are hidden
- Addresses are hidden
- History is confidential
- Users can “peg out” back to regular Litecoin
MWEB addresses start with: ltcmweb1...
Privacy Properties
What MWEB hides:
- ✅ Transaction amounts (confidential transactions)
- ✅ Sender and recipient addresses (blinded)
- ✅ Transaction graph (cut-through pruning)
What MWEB doesn’t hide:
- ❌ Timing of peg-in/peg-out (visible on main chain)
- ❌ Number of transactions (network observers see activity)
- ❌ IP address (use Tor/VPN for network privacy)
Why MWEB Instead of Regular Litecoin?
Regular Litecoin is fully transparent (like Bitcoin). MWEB provides:
- Opt-in privacy - Only when you need it
- Confidential transactions - Nobody sees amounts
- Blockchain efficiency - Smaller, faster verification
- Same Litecoin - Same network, enhanced privacy
MWEB Wallets
Desktop:
- Litecoin Core - Official wallet with full MWEB support
- Sparrow Wallet - Also supports Litecoin MWEB
Mobile:
- Cake Wallet - iOS and Android, excellent MWEB support
- Litecoin Wallet - Official mobile wallet (check for MWEB support)
Hardware:
- Limited hardware wallet support (check with your device)
Learn More About MWEB
- Litecoin MWEB Announcement
- Mimblewimble Whitepaper
- MWEB Technical Overview
- r/Litecoin - Community support
Comparison Table
| Feature | Monero | Bitcoin Silent Payments | Litecoin MWEB |
|---|---|---|---|
| Privacy by default | ✅ Mandatory | ✅ Built-in | ⚠️ Opt-in |
| Amount confidentiality | ✅ Yes | ❌ No | ✅ Yes |
| Address privacy | ✅ Stealth addresses | ✅ Stealth addresses | ✅ Blinded addresses |
| Sender privacy | ✅ Ring signatures | ⚠️ Partial | ⚠️ Partial |
| Network privacy | ✅ Dandelion++ | ❌ Use Tor | ❌ Use Tor |
| Wallet support | ✅✅✅ Excellent | ⚠️ Limited (new) | ✅✅ Good |
| Maturity | ✅ 10+ years | ⚠️ New (2024) | ✅ 2+ years |
| Fungibility | ✅ Perfect | ⚠️ Partial | ⚠️ Partial |
| Best for | Maximum privacy | Private Bitcoin | Private Litecoin |
Which Should You Use?
For maximum privacy: → Monero (XMR) - The gold standard, privacy by default
If you prefer Bitcoin: → Bitcoin Silent Payments - Privacy-enhanced Bitcoin, reusable address
If you prefer Litecoin: → Litecoin MWEB - Optional privacy on Litecoin network
All three are excellent choices that protect both your privacy and ours. Choose based on:
- Which network you’re already using
- Your existing wallet support
- Your privacy requirements
- Your technical comfort level
Frequently Asked Questions
Why don’t you accept regular Bitcoin or Litecoin?
We do—Silent Payments is regular Bitcoin with privacy, and MWEB is regular Litecoin with privacy.
Think of it like using HTTPS instead of HTTP. Same protocol, better security.
Are these cryptocurrencies legal?
Yes. Privacy is not a crime. These are legitimate cryptocurrencies designed to protect financial privacy—the same way encrypted messaging protects communication privacy.
Which wallet should I start with?
Beginners: Cake Wallet - Supports all three (Monero, Bitcoin, Litecoin MWEB)
Privacy-focused: Monero GUI Wallet + Sparrow Wallet (for BTC/LTC)
Can I donate with regular Bitcoin anyway?
We only accept the privacy-enhanced versions listed on the donate page. This protects both you and us.
If you only have regular Bitcoin, most wallets let you send to Silent Payment addresses (your wallet handles the conversion automatically).
How do I get these cryptocurrencies?
Exchanges that support privacy coins:
- Kraken - Monero support (KYC required)
- TradeOgre - No KYC for Monero
- LocalMonero - P2P Monero exchange (no KYC)
For BTC Silent Payments and LTC MWEB, use any exchange to buy BTC/LTC, then send through a privacy wallet.
Non-KYC options:
- Bitcoin ATMs (cash for crypto)
- P2P exchanges (LocalMonero, Bisq, HodlHodl)
- In-person trades (LocalBitcoins style)
Support Privacy-Preserving Technology
By donating with privacy-preserving cryptocurrencies, you’re:
- ✅ Protecting your own financial privacy
- ✅ Supporting privacy-respecting education
- ✅ Demonstrating demand for privacy technology
- ✅ Voting with your wallet for a more private financial system
Thank you for supporting financial privacy.