Crypto investigator ZachXBT, known for his deep dives into blockchain scams and exploits, recently shared a detailed thread on X about a potential privacy leak in the Zashi wallet when integrated with Near Intents for Zcash transactions. If you're into privacy coins or just trying to keep your crypto moves under wraps, this is worth paying attention to. Let's break it down step by step, explaining the tech in simple terms so anyone can follow along.

Zashi is a user-friendly wallet designed for Zcash (ZEC), a cryptocurrency that emphasizes privacy through shielded transactions. Shielded means your transaction details—like amounts and addresses—are hidden from the public blockchain, unlike transparent ones where everything is visible. Near Intents is a cross-chain feature that lets you bridge assets between blockchains seamlessly, like moving Solana (SOL) to Zcash.

In his test, ZachXBT bridged 1 SOL from Solana to Zcash using Near Intents and then shielded it in Zashi. The source transaction came from a Solana address, and the destination was a Zcash transparent address (starting with 't') before shielding

- The title should be SEO-optimized, such as "ZachXBT Reveals Privacy Flaw in Zashi Wallet's Near Intents for Zcash – What It Means for Users".
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He then used Zashi's "Crosspay" feature to anonymously send some shielded ZEC to an Ethereum address, converting it to 0.005 ETH. Crosspay leverages Near Intents to handle these cross-chain payments without revealing too much.

The order went through, but here's the catch: a small refund of 0.001598 ZEC was sent back to his original transparent Zcash address via Near Intents. This refund wasn't shielded, creating a direct link between his shielded funds and the transparent address. By matching timings and amounts from the Near Intents address, anyone could potentially deanonymize the user's initial shielding address, which is static and reusable.

ZachXBT reached out to the Zashi team, who confirmed they're working on fixes like ephemeral addresses (temporary, one-time-use addresses) and eventually shielding those refunds. In the meantime, his advice? Use multiple wallet seeds on separate devices if you're doing Crosspay transfers with shielded ZEC to avoid linking activities.

Overall, he praised Zashi for its smooth UI/UX, especially compared to wallets like Monero's, which have had their own privacy gripes. But this highlights a key lesson in crypto privacy: even tools built for anonymity can have flaws if not used carefully.

Looking ahead, ZachXBT is considering more posts on maintaining onchain opsec (operational security)—basically, how to avoid leaving digital footprints that could expose you. He's even floating the idea of a service to help traders and small funds anonymize their activities without attracting bad actors. If you're legit and interested, he suggests DMing him, but warns he'll spot launderers a mile away.

This thread comes amid growing frustration with industry leaders and law enforcement's slow response to privacy issues and victim support in crypto. ZachXBT argues that sharing these insights could do more good than harm, especially since sophisticated players already know the tricks.

For meme token enthusiasts and blockchain practitioners, this is a reminder that privacy matters, even in the wild world of memes. Many meme coins operate on public chains like Solana or Ethereum, where transactions are traceable. Tools like Zcash and wallets like Zashi could offer ways to keep your plays private, but always test and stay updated on potential vulnerabilities.

If you're diving into privacy coins, check out resources like the Zcash official site or Near Protocol's docs on Intents. Staying informed is key to leveling up your blockchain game—follow ZachXBT on X for more investigative gems.

What do you think? Should more experts share opsec tips publicly? Drop your thoughts in the comments below.