Comparison

SIP vs Alternatives

A detailed comparison of SIP Protocol with other blockchain privacy solutions.

Quick Comparison

Feature	SIP	Tornado Cash	Railgun	Zcash Direct	Secret Network
Cross-chain	Yes	No	No	No	Limited
Compliance-ready	Yes	No	Partial	Partial	No
Viewing keys	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	No
No fixed amounts	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes
Intent-based	Yes	No	No	No	No
SDK available	Yes	No	Yes	Limited	Yes
No pool dependency	Yes	No	No	Yes	N/A
Non-custodial	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes

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Detailed Comparisons

SIP vs Tornado Cash

Tornado Cash was an Ethereum mixer that provided privacy by pooling funds from multiple users.

Aspect	SIP	Tornado Cash
Architecture	Intent-based stealth addresses	Fixed-denomination pool
Amounts	Any amount	Fixed (0.1, 1, 10, 100 ETH)
Compliance	Viewing keys for auditors	None
Cross-chain	Yes, via NEAR Intents	No
Anonymity model	Per-transaction stealth	Shared pool
Regulatory status	Designed for compliance	Sanctioned (OFAC)
Deposit/withdraw	Direct swap	Requires deposit → wait → withdraw

Key differences:

1. No fixed denominations: Tornado required specific amounts (0.1 ETH, 1 ETH, etc.). SIP works with any amount.

2. No waiting period: Tornado users needed to wait in the pool for anonymity. SIP provides instant privacy per transaction.

3. Compliance path: Tornado had no mechanism for regulatory compliance. SIP’s viewing keys enable auditor access.

4. Cross-chain: Tornado was single-chain (Ethereum). SIP supports multiple chains via NEAR Intents.

When Tornado might have been preferred:

• Maximum anonymity set (shared pool with other users)
• Simple “fire and forget” privacy

When to use SIP:

• Need compliance/audit capability
• Cross-chain transactions
• Variable amounts
• No waiting period acceptable

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SIP vs Railgun

Railgun is an EVM privacy system using zero-knowledge proofs with a shielded balance system.

Aspect	SIP	Railgun
Architecture	Intent-based	UTXO-based shielded pool
Chains	Multi-chain (ETH, SOL, NEAR)	EVM only
Privacy model	Stealth addresses + commitments	zk-SNARKs shielded balance
Viewing keys	Hierarchical, scoped	Yes, per-wallet
Integration	SDK wraps existing swaps	Requires native integration
Gas costs	Standard (off-chain privacy)	Higher (on-chain proofs)

Key differences:

1. Chain support: Railgun is EVM-only. SIP supports Solana, NEAR, and other chains.

2. Integration model: Railgun requires applications to integrate with its shielded pool. SIP wraps existing intent infrastructure.

3. Privacy model: Railgun maintains shielded balances on-chain. SIP applies privacy per-transaction without persistent shielded state.

4. Gas costs: Railgun’s on-chain proofs cost more gas. SIP’s privacy operations are primarily off-chain.

When to use Railgun:

• EVM-only use case
• Want persistent shielded balance
• Fine with higher gas costs for stronger guarantees

When to use SIP:

• Cross-chain transactions
• Lower gas costs preferred
• Intent-based UX desired
• Hierarchical viewing key needs

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SIP vs Zcash Direct

Zcash is a cryptocurrency with native shielded transactions using zk-SNARKs.

Aspect	SIP	Zcash Direct
Integration	SDK for any app	Requires Zcash wallet/node
Chains	Multi-chain	Zcash only
Swaps	Native cross-chain	Requires bridges
Privacy strength	Strong (secp256k1 + commitments)	Very strong (Groth16 proofs)
Viewing keys	Hierarchical	Flat (per-address)
Compliance	Built-in	Manual key sharing
Developer experience	TypeScript SDK	C++/Rust libraries

Key differences:

1. Accessibility: SIP provides a TypeScript SDK for web developers. Zcash requires deeper integration with its node software.

2. Cross-chain: Using Zcash for cross-chain requires bridges. SIP has native cross-chain via NEAR Intents.

3. Privacy model: Zcash’s Sapling/Orchard pools provide stronger theoretical privacy. SIP’s stealth addresses provide practical privacy without shared pools.

4. Viewing keys: Zcash viewing keys are per-address. SIP supports hierarchical keys for organizational use.

When to use Zcash directly:

• Maximum privacy guarantees needed
• Zcash-to-Zcash transactions
• Already in Zcash ecosystem

When to use SIP:

• Cross-chain privacy needed
• Web application integration
• Hierarchical viewing keys for enterprise
• Don’t want to run Zcash infrastructure

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SIP vs Secret Network

Secret Network is a blockchain with encrypted state and private smart contracts.

Aspect	SIP	Secret Network
Model	Application layer	L1 blockchain
Privacy scope	Transaction privacy	Smart contract privacy
Chains	Works on existing chains	Own chain + IBC
Integration	SDK wrapper	Deploy on Secret
Trust model	Cryptographic	TEE (SGX enclaves)
Compliance	Viewing keys	No built-in mechanism

Key differences:

1. Architecture: Secret is a full blockchain. SIP is an application layer on existing chains.

2. Trust model: Secret relies on Intel SGX enclaves (hardware). SIP uses pure cryptography.

3. Scope: Secret provides private smart contracts. SIP focuses on transaction privacy.

4. Compliance: Secret has no built-in viewing key system. SIP prioritizes compliant privacy.

When to use Secret Network:

• Need private smart contract execution
• Building natively on Secret
• IBC ecosystem integration

When to use SIP:

• Transaction privacy on existing chains
• No hardware trust assumptions
• Compliance/audit requirements
• Cross-chain beyond IBC

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Feature Deep Dives

Cross-Chain Privacy

SIP’s cross-chain support via NEAR Intents:

┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│                    SIP Cross-Chain Flow                      │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│                                                              │
│  Ethereum                    NEAR                  Solana    │
│  ┌─────────┐              ┌─────────┐           ┌─────────┐ │
│  │ Shielded│   Intent     │ NEAR    │  Fulfill  │ Stealth │ │
│  │ Intent  │ ──────────►  │ Intents │ ────────► │ Address │ │
│  └─────────┘              └─────────┘           └─────────┘ │
│       │                        │                     │       │
│       │ Hidden sender          │ Solver              │ One-time │
│       │ Hidden amount          │ execution           │ address  │
│                                                              │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

Other solutions require:

• Tornado: Single chain only
• Railgun: EVM-only, no native cross-chain
• Zcash: Requires bridges (trust assumptions)
• Secret: IBC chains only

Compliance Architecture

SIP’s hierarchical viewing keys:

// Organization structure
const treasuryKey = generateViewingKey('m/treasury')

// Derive scoped keys
const auditorKey = deriveViewingKey(treasuryKey, 'auditor/2024')
const legalKey = deriveViewingKey(treasuryKey, 'legal/compliance')

// Auditor sees only their scope
const decrypted = decryptWithViewing(tx, auditorKey)

Comparison:

• Tornado: No compliance mechanism
• Railgun: Per-wallet viewing keys (flat)
• Zcash: Per-address viewing keys (flat)
• SIP: Hierarchical with path-based scoping

Integration Complexity

Solution	Integration Effort	Notes
SIP	Low	npm install, wrap existing logic
Railgun	Medium	Shielded pool integration
Zcash	High	Node infrastructure required
Secret	High	Redeploy on new chain
Tornado	Low	But no longer available

SIP integration example:

// 5 lines to add privacy to existing swap
import { SIP, PrivacyLevel } from '@sip-protocol/sdk'

const sip = new SIP({ network: 'mainnet' })
const intent = await sip.createIntent({ ...swap, privacy: PrivacyLevel.SHIELDED })
await sip.execute(intent, quote)

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Decision Matrix

Use SIP when:

• Cross-chain privacy — swapping between different blockchains with privacy
• Compliance required — need to provide auditor access via viewing keys
• Web integration — building web apps with TypeScript/JavaScript
• Variable amounts — don’t want fixed denomination constraints
• Quick integration — want minimal code changes to add privacy
• No infrastructure — don’t want to run nodes or specialized software

Consider alternatives when:

• Maximum anonymity set — shared mixer pools may provide larger sets
• Persistent shielded state — Railgun’s shielded balance model
• Zcash-native — already deep in Zcash ecosystem
• Private computation — need encrypted smart contract state (Secret)
• Single chain only — dedicated single-chain solution may be simpler

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Migration Guides

From Tornado Cash patterns

If you previously used Tornado Cash-style privacy:

// Old pattern (conceptual)
await deposit(amount, pool)
await wait(hours)
await withdraw(note, recipient)

// SIP pattern
const intent = await sip.createIntent({
  input: { amount },
  output: { recipient: stealthAddress },
  privacy: PrivacyLevel.SHIELDED,
})
await sip.execute(intent, quote)
// No deposit, no waiting

From direct chain transactions

Adding privacy to existing swaps:

// Before: transparent swap
await dex.swap(tokenIn, tokenOut, amount)

// After: shielded swap via SIP
const intent = await sip.createIntent({
  input: { chain: 'ethereum', token: tokenIn, amount },
  output: { chain: 'solana', token: tokenOut },
  privacy: PrivacyLevel.SHIELDED,
})
await sip.execute(intent, quote)

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Summary

If you need…	Use
Cross-chain + compliance	SIP
EVM-only shielded balance	Railgun
Maximum privacy (single chain)	Zcash
Private smart contracts	Secret Network
Simple EVM mixing	Retired (Tornado was sanctioned)

SIP occupies a unique position: compliant cross-chain privacy with easy SDK integration. It’s designed for the real-world needs of DAOs, institutions, and applications that need privacy and regulatory compliance.