# Is Zcash traceable?

Shielded Zcash transactions are encrypted, and users' addresses, their transaction amount, and memo field are completely private.

If you use a shielded Zcash address to send and receive ZEC, your transaction history and wallet balance are not traceable. It’s like spending cash at a grocery store: There’s no publicly viewable record of where that money came from or who spent it. If you use a transparent Zcash address, then your holdings and financial history are publicly available (like Bitcoin). Some Zcash wallets now autoshield funds they receive from transparent addresses.

[Learn more](https://nakamoto.com/zcash-the-https-of-blockchains/)

## Ready to use ZEC? 
#### [Learn](/content/learn/index.html)  
[Learn the basics of Zcash and browse resources.](/content/learn/index.html)  
#### [Use Zcash](/content/ecosystem/index.html)  
[Find ecosystem resources, like exchanges and wallets.](/content/ecosystem/index.html)  
#### [Connect](/content/community-hub/?discuss=#tab-5663/index.html)  
[Visit the Zcash Community Hub and join the conversation.](/content/community-hub/?discuss=#tab-5663/index.html)  
#### [Build](/content/ecosystem/#tag-build-with-zcash/index.html)  
[Find tools and contribute to the Zcash Ecosystem.](/content/ecosystem/#tag-build-with-zcash/index.html)