Privacy wallet for Telos EVM with native Rust proofs

Layer-1 · privacy infrastructure

~5s

native Rust proof generation

desktop platforms shipped

Telos wanted private payments usable in an everyday wallet, not only in a protocol spec. Zero-knowledge privacy protocols give strong guarantees, but generating proofs in a browser is slow enough to discourage routine use. Telos worked with Protofire to build zkTelos Wallet, a shielded-transaction wallet for Telos EVM.

Protofire adapted the open-source zkBob wallet and client library to Telos, then moved proof generation out of the browser into a native Rust addon packaged inside an Electron desktop app. The wallet ships as a web app and as desktop builds for macOS, Windows, and Linux. The primary engineering artifact is public at github.com/protofire/telos-privacy-wallet, a repository now maintained in the Telos GitHub org.

Snapshot

Client

Telos

Sector

Layer-1 / privacy infrastructure

Chains

Telos EVM

Timeline

Active development Oct 2025 - Apr 2026; public releases v0.0.1 to v0.0.6 (Nov 2025 - Jan 2026)

Engagement type

Open-source build, started in the Protofire GitHub org and now maintained in the Telos GitHub org

“Shielded-payment protocols existed, but adopting one is not the same as shipping a wallet people use.”

Why private payments on Telos EVM needed more than a protocol

Telos runs an EVM-compatible layer-1 aimed at fast, low-cost transactions, and privacy was the gap. Shielded-payment protocols existed, but adopting one is not the same as shipping a wallet people use. A user sending a private transfer generates a zero-knowledge proof on their own device, and doing that in a browser is slow enough to discourage repeat use.

A working privacy wallet is also more than one interface. It needs privacy smart contracts on-chain, ZK circuits, a relayer so users can transact without exposing their own address as the fee payer, and indexing so the wallet can reconstruct shielded state. Miss one and the wallet does not function.

How Protofire built the Telos zkWallet privacy stack

Protofire built on zkBob, an open-source privacy protocol, adapting its wallet interface and client library to run on Telos EVM. The core engineering decision was where proofs get generated. The web build proves in the browser through a WASM module. For the desktop build, Protofire compiled the zkBob Rust proving code into a native Node addon and packaged the wallet as an Electron application, so proofs run natively on the user's machine rather than in a browser sandbox.

The public repository reflects this split: a WASM proving package for the web and a native Rust addon wired into the Electron build for desktop, alongside the ZK-SNARK circuits and the TypeScript application. Protofire shipped desktop builds for macOS, Windows, and Linux.

Results

Native Rust

proof generation in the desktop app: roughly 3-5 seconds observed per shielded transfer

desktop platforms: web plus Electron builds for macOS, Windows, Linux

v0.0.1-v0.0.6

public releases (Nov 2025 - Jan 2026) on GitHub

ZK-SNARK

shielded transfers with relayer and indexing on Telos EVM

Proof pack

The primary artifact is public: protofire/telos-privacy-wallet is the wallet Protofire built. By its own README, the wallet is built on zkBob's open-source UI and client library, adapted for Telos, with a native Rust proving addon and Electron desktop packaging added on top.

The GitHub repository started in the Protofire org, is now maintained in the Telos GitHub org (the Protofire URL redirects there), and is not a GitHub fork, but the code descends from zkBob, so the boundary is clear: Protofire adapted and extended an open protocol and its reference wallet rather than authoring the base privacy protocol. The repository carries the TypeScript application, the ZK circuits, and both the WASM and native Rust proving paths.

Technology stack

zkBob-based privacy protocolZK-SNARK circuits (Groth16)Rust proof generation (native Node addon plus WASM)Electron desktop appWalletConnect

Build the same with us

Wallet privacy→ZK privacy→

FAQ

Did Protofire create the zkBob protocol?

No. zkBob is an open-source privacy protocol and wallet. Protofire adapted the zkBob wallet and client library to Telos EVM, added a native Rust proving path and Electron desktop packaging, and shipped it as zkTelos Wallet.

How does the desktop wallet generate proofs faster than a browser?

By proving natively. For the desktop build, Protofire compiled the zkBob Rust proving code into a native Node addon inside an Electron app, so proofs run on the user's machine rather than in a browser WASM sandbox. Observed native proving time is roughly 3-5 seconds per shielded transfer.

Is zkTelos Wallet available?

Yes. It ships as a web app and as Electron desktop builds for macOS, Windows, and Linux, with public releases (v0.0.1 to v0.0.6) on GitHub, in a repository now maintained in the Telos GitHub org.

What else has Protofire built for Telos?

The privacy wallet is one part of a longer engineering relationship. Protofire's other delivered work with Telos includes Safe multisig deployment, Chainlink oracle compatibility, and a Railgun privacy deployment.

Discussed on The Protocol Roundtable

All episodes

What a private transaction on Ethereum takes today
Ivor Jugo, Protofire
Moment at 23:18Episode 1 · Nothing to Hide: On-Chain Privacy in 2026

Get a proposal

Tell us what you are building. An engineer reads it, we have a short call, and the written proposal follows within one business day.

Hi, my name's

Luis Medeiros

Full name

Link to your site, demo, or repo (optional)

Telegram (optional)

What are you building?

Budget

I accept the

I agree to receive new research announcements as well as information about Protofire services and special offers

An NDA is available from the first message and can cover anything you share. How it works