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The complete guide to receiving your first ZEC

3 min readSwapToZec

This is a walk-through for someone who has never received ZEC before. It assumes you already understand what Zcash is; if not, start with why swap Bitcoin to Zcash or the official Zcash overview.

Step 1 — pick a wallet

You want a wallet that supports unified addresses (u1…) so your incoming ZEC lands in the shielded pool by default. As of 2026 the main options:

  • Zashi (iOS/Android, official Zcash Foundation wallet). Simplest to set up. Fully shielded-first.
  • Ywallet (multi-platform). More features, active development.
  • Nighthawk (mobile). Long history, good UX.
  • Zecwallet (desktop). If you want desktop specifically.

Pick one. Do not skip this step by "sending it to an exchange address for now" — most exchanges only accept transparent addresses and defeat the point of ZEC.

Step 2 — write down your seed phrase

The wallet you picked will give you a 12- or 24-word phrase during setup. Write it down on paper. Put the paper somewhere fireproof. That phrase IS the wallet. Anyone who has it can spend everything you ever receive.

Rules:

  • Never type the phrase into anything except the wallet itself, restoring on the same wallet.
  • Never take a photo of it. Cloud backups leak.
  • Never share it. No support person from any wallet or swap service will ever legitimately ask for it. SwapToZec doesn't need it — we send TO a public address, we don't need the private one.

Step 3 — find your receive address

In your wallet, look for "Receive" or "Address". You want the unified address (starts with u1…). It'll be long — that's normal.

If your wallet only shows a t1… (transparent), it's an older interface. You can still use it, but you'll have to shield the funds yourself after they arrive. Better to switch wallets.

Step 4 — start a swap

Head to SwapToZec and pick your source asset. If you're funding from Bitcoin, use the BTC → ZEC page. Enter the amount, paste your u1… (or t1…) address, review the quote, confirm.

You'll get:

  • A deposit address on the source chain (e.g. a Bitcoin bc1… address).
  • The exact amount to send.
  • A quote expiry — the rate is only guaranteed until then.
  • A swap ID and a link to a status page you can bookmark.

Step 5 — send the deposit

Open the source wallet you're funding from. Paste the deposit address, enter the exact amount, send. Don't manually adjust for fees — the amount we show is the amount you should send.

The status page will show:

  1. Waiting for deposit
  2. Deposit detected
  3. Confirming (with a live count)
  4. Processing
  5. Sending ZEC
  6. Completed

Step 6 — your ZEC arrives

Once it's in the "Sending ZEC" state, it's on its way. Refresh your wallet to see the incoming payment. It'll show as pending until the Zcash chain confirms.

If you receive to a u1… address, the payment lands in the shielded pool automatically. Nobody looking at the Zcash chain can see the amount you received.

Step 7 — the bit no one else tells you

The first ZEC you receive will feel invisible in a way that other coins don't. Your wallet balance updates; nothing shows on any block explorer you'd care to check with your address. That is not a bug. It is the point.

Send yourself a small test payment from another wallet, or ask a friend with ZEC to send you one satoshi's worth. Confirming that the send/receive works before you scale up is worth 30 seconds.

Common first-time issues

  • "My wallet doesn't show the incoming ZEC." Some wallets need a few minutes to sync. Force a refresh. If it still doesn't appear, check the payout tx on a Zcash explorer using the payout txid on the swap status page — if the txid resolves and shows the payout going to your u1…, the money is there, your wallet just hasn't caught up.
  • "The exchange rate looks worse than the price shown on CoinGecko." Quotes include the swap fee and the network fee for the payout. The rate on CoinGecko is a mid-market spot number that doesn't include either.
  • "My deposit went to the wrong network." Never send from a Bitcoin wallet to an Ethereum address, or vice versa. Deposit addresses are network-specific. The swap page tells you exactly which network to use.

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