Mar 15, 20257 min readPrivacy & SigmaIntermediate
Ergo vs Privacy Coins
Comparing Ergo, Monero, Zcash and L2 mixers on privacy models, programmability, auditability and tokenomics.
Ergo
privacy coins
Monero
Zcash
L2 mixers
Sigma Protocols
zero-knowledge proofs
smart contracts
auditability
fair launch
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About This Infographic
This graphic compares four approaches to on-chain privacy: Ergo, Monero, Zcash and L2 mixers built on transparent L1s. Each column shows how they differ across privacy model, programmability, selective disclosure, auditability and tokenomics.
Ergo sits between fully transparent chains and fully private coins: optional, contract-level privacy using Sigma Protocols on a mostly transparent PoW chain. Monero offers privacy by default at L1 with ring signatures, stealth addresses and RingCT. Zcash uses optional shielded pools via zk-SNARKs, and L2 mixers add zk-based privacy on top of transparent smart-contract platforms.
The lower rows highlight programmability and auditability: Ergo brings full smart contracts and programmable selective disclosure, while Monero and Zcash have limited native programmability and rely on view keys. L2 mixers inherit smart-contract power from their host chain but keep privacy siloed to the mixer contract and follow typical DeFi-style tokenomics.
Key Points
Ergo offers optional, Sigma-based privacy on a transparent PoW base layer, rather than default opacity.
Monero and Zcash focus on base-layer privacy, while L2 mixers provide privacy only for flows that pass through the mixer.
Ergo combines real smart contracts with programmable selective disclosure, whereas Monero/Zcash rely on view keys and mixers lack fine-grained proofs.
Both Ergo and Monero emphasize fair-launch PoW economics, contrasting with founders' rewards and DeFi-style token distributions elsewhere.
How to Read This Infographic
01.
Start with the column headers: Ergo, Monero, Zcash and L2 mixers.
02.
Read the privacy model row to understand how each handles confidentiality at the base layer or on L2.
03.
Move through programmability, selective disclosure and auditability to see how usable and auditable each design is.
04.
Finish with the tokenomics row and bottom banner that frame Ergo's place between transparent chains and full privacy coins.
Related Topics
Ergo privacy with Sigma Protocols
Monero's default L1 privacy model
Zcash shielded transactions and viewing keys
L2 mixers on Ethereum and other smart-contract L1s
Fair-launch tokenomics vs founders' rewards
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