Bitcoin plans to introduce a shielded privacy protocol without modifying rules.

TechFlow reported on September 26 that, citing CoinDesk, a recent study has proposed a technical solution named "Shielded Bitcoin," aiming to introduce shielded privacy features similar to Zcash to the mainnet without altering Bitcoin's underlying consensus rules. The protocol leverages a zero-knowledge proof mechanism to allow users to conceal transaction flows and balances directly on the mainnet, while ensuring that network nodes can still effectively validate the legitimacy of transfers.

The study indicates that this technical approach relies on an independently operating meta-protocol architecture, meaning Bitcoin would not need to undergo lengthy soft fork voting or code refactoring. In their paper, the project team stated that this design aims to break through the limitations of a transparent ledger while maintaining compatibility with existing security models. As related verification processes advance, the Bitcoin ecosystem may soon gain a privacy asset transfer channel that can be deployed directly without interfering with native rules.