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Zcash has launched a beta feature called Zcash Names, and it’s now live in Edge! This feature gives users a simpler way to send shielded Zcash payments using human-readable names instead of long wallet addresses.
Rather than copying, pasting, and verifying a shielded address filled with dozens of random characters, users can now send privately to names like privacy.zcash, satoshi.zcash, or edge.zec. Edge automatically resolves the name to the correct shielded Zcash address behind the scenes, creating a sending experience that feels dramatically more intuitive while preserving the benefits of shielded payments and self-custody.
This launch marks another step toward making privacy-focused crypto easier to use in everyday life.
The Problem With Long Addresses
For years, one of the biggest usability challenges in crypto has been wallet addresses themselves. While they are technically functional, they weren’t designed with human usability in mind. Long strings of characters are difficult to recognize, difficult to verify at a glance, and easy to mistype.
That friction becomes even more noticeable when interacting with privacy-focused systems. Users want the confidence that comes with shielded payments, but they also want an experience that feels approachable and understandable.
Sending to a recognizable name instead of a long address helps reduce that friction considerably. Human-readable names are easier to share, easier to verify, and easier to remember. Instead of carefully comparing dozens of characters before sending funds, users can confirm a recognizable identity that feels much more natural to interact with.
Privacy Should Feel Usable
Privacy tools are often associated with complexity. Many people assume that stronger privacy inevitably means a more difficult user experience, but that does not have to be the case.
At Edge, we believe privacy-first tools should feel intuitive enough for everyday users while still maintaining the principles of self-custody and user control. Zcash Names represent an important usability improvement because they simplify one of the most common pain points in crypto while still retaining the benefit of shielded transactions
The result is a private payment experience that feels cleaner, simpler, and more human-centered. Users maintain control of their funds while interacting with a system that feels less intimidating and easier to navigate confidently.
Bringing Better Privacy UX to Market
Edge is the first wallet to support the full Zcash Names experience. Beyond resolving names when sending ZEC, Edge users can interact with Zcash Names to claim names, update records, and manage ownership without connecting their wallet to a website. This launch continues our focus on making privacy-focused tools easier to use while preserving the benefits of self-custody.
As privacy infrastructure continues to evolve, usability will play an increasingly important role in adoption. Powerful privacy technology only reaches its full potential when people can use it comfortably in real-world situations. Features like Zcash Names help move the ecosystem in that direction by making shielded payments feel more accessible without reducing the protections that make them valuable in the first place.
As part of this beta launch, users are eligible to receive rewards from the Zcash community for testing this feature. See the Zcash Names FAQ website for more information on reward payments, how to apply to the beta and purchase a Zcash Name, and more. For additional information on how to use Zcash Names in Edge, see our detailed support article.
The Zcash Names beta is now live in Edge. Private payments, human names.
