Zero-to-Zero Knowledge: Introducing Iron Fish
Hello, Zcashers!👋🏻
As part of our ongoing mission to enhance and expand our shielded ecosystem, we are excited to introduce one of the privacy-focused projects we’ve been collaborating with: Iron Fish.
Iron Fish is an innovative project that shares our commitment to privacy and security in the cryptocurrency space, and we are thrilled to support its growth. To give you a deeper insight into this collaboration, we've prepared both short highlights and the full recording for those who want to dive deeper into the details. These resources are packed with valuable information about the project's progress, its goals, and how it aligns with the Zcash community’s vision for privacy.
We encourage you to explore these materials and learn more about how Iron Fish is contributing to the broader landscape of privacy and decentralized finance.
Let’s dive in and explore this exciting development together! 🙂
Iron Fish is a cryptocurrency project focused on privacy, offering completely anonymous and decentralized transactions. It uses advanced cryptography to ensure that all transactions remain private, following a model similar to Zcash but with improvements in scalability and usability.
Iron Fish also aims to create a decentralized infrastructure for private transactions, serving both as an anonymous cryptocurrency and as a privacy layer for other blockchains.
Also important to mention the usage of ChainPort, a secure and efficient blockchain bridge that enables seamless cross-chain assets transfers into Iron Fish. This does however require wallet screening via a permissioning service.
The Iron Fish Mainnet launched April 20, 2023.
Elena Nadolinski is the founder and CEO of Iron Fish, a privacy-focused cryptocurrency project.
She has a background in software engineering, having worked at companies like Microsoft and Airbnb before venturing into the cryptocurrency space. In 2022, she was recognized in Forbes' 30 Under 30 list for Finance.
Recently, she has been actively promoting Iron Fish as a cross-chain privacy layer for Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM) networks, discussing its developments in various forums.
Web2 claims to prioritize privacy but struggles to provide reliable and effective security assurances. Take digital payment systems, for example—payment processors and merchants collect vast amounts of user data, leveraging it for targeted ads, marketing, and monetization. Your purchasing behavior is constantly monitored across online platforms, often without your explicit knowledge or consent.
Similarly, most blockchain networks expose user addresses and transaction histories to the public, making asset holders vulnerable to scammers and fraud. These challenges significantly hinder the growth of secure decentralized applications.
TPS depends on the size of the transactions. Note: The maximum block size is 0.5MB. Assuming an average transaction with 3 inputs and 2 outputs, which is approximately 2.2 KB, and a max block size of 0.5 MB, a block could hold around 225 such transactions.
The Iron Fish network has a target block time of 60 seconds, meaning it would process about 4 transactions per second on average. Also, there’s no size limite for the mempool: The default is 60MB but can be increased dependent on the user’s hardware.
We are builders at heart, constantly exploring innovative ways to develop new solutions across different projects. Our mission is to push the boundaries of what’s possible and create meaningful advancements in the blockchain space.
Iron Fish is no exception to this approach. Their primary focus is on the payments use case, recognizing that payments remain one of the strongest and most impactful applications of cryptocurrency. A truly global payment system cannot function effectively without privacy, which is why Iron Fish is dedicated to building a secure, private infrastructure for financial transactions.
The project’s main emphasis is on Private Stablecoins, ensuring users have a reliable and shielded way to transact. Over time, Iron Fish aims to expand its offerings to include additional private assets, such as private Bitcoin and other privacy-preserving digital assets.
Beyond payments, Iron Fish is also actively exploring ways to enhance interoperability with EVM-compatible chains, allowing users to interact with the network more seamlessly. This integration will bridge the gap between Iron Fish and other blockchain ecosystems, making it easier for developers and users alike to leverage its privacy features within broader decentralized applications.
If this vision resonates with you, now is a great time to get involved. Whether you’re a developer, researcher, or simply passionate about privacy and blockchain, reaching out to the Iron Fish team could be the first step toward contributing to an exciting and innovative project.
Iron Fish supports multiple wallets, allowing users to interact seamlessly while maintaining full encryption and 100% shielding. This ensures a high level of privacy and security for all transactions.
The decision to implement this approach stems from Iron Fish’s commitment to providing a user-friendly experience. By simplifying the process, they eliminate unnecessary barriers, making it easier for individuals to engage with the platform without technical complexities.
A strong parallel can be drawn to user interactions with Web2 websites, where individuals can effortlessly choose the tools they need. This model breaks down traditional obstacles to accessing and managing wallets, ultimately fostering a more intuitive and efficient pathway for usability while maintaining the security of shielded assets.
Oreo Wallet:
The Oreo Wallet is the official wallet for the Iron Fish blockchain, designed specifically with the project’s unique privacy features in mind.
Fox Wallet
Fox Wallet is the first Iron Fish light wallet, offering a user-friendly interface for managing IRON assets without the need to run a full node. It's a multi-chain Web3 wallet that supports a wide range of dApps and blockchain networks. FoxWallet is available as a mobile application for both iOS and Android devicesIron Fish Node Wallet:
For users who prefer running a full node, the Iron Fish Node Wallet provides comprehensive features and full control over your transactions. This option requires downloading and installing the Iron Fish Node application on your computer. It's suitable for those who are comfortable with managing a full blockchain nodeIron Fish Wallet CLI:
For advanced users who prefer command-line interfaces, the Iron Fish Wallet CLI offers account key management, transaction creation, and asset storage functionalities. This standalone process can be installed via NPM and is ideal for developers or users with technical expertise.
Running a node is extremely easy and accessible to everyone, regardless of technical expertise. To get started, simply open your terminal and enter the following command:
install -g ironfishOnce the installation is complete, you can start your node by opening another terminal window and typing:
ironfish startWith just these simple steps, you will have a fully operational Iron Fish node running.
For those who may not feel comfortable using the terminal, Iron Fish also provides a more user-friendly alternative. You can visit ironfish.network and navigate to the appropriate section to download and install the node with a graphical interface.
By running a node, you actively contribute to the network’s decentralization and security while enjoying the benefits of a privacy-focused blockchain. Take the next step and get started today!
To learn more about Iron Fish and everything that was discussed, here is the full recording of our X Spaces that took place on March 27.
Be part of the Shielded Ecosystem.