Transaction Lifecycle Overview

The Umbra Protocol enables a rich set of transaction types that move value between three distinct domains: public token accounts (ATAs), encrypted token accounts (ETAs), and the Unified Mixer Pool. Understanding how these domains interconnect is fundamental to leveraging Umbra's full privacy capabilities.

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The Three Domains

Umbra operates across three fundamental domains, each offering different privacy characteristics:

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All Possible Flows

Every connection between these three domains is possible-either directly or through a single hop. This gives users complete flexibility in choosing their privacy level for any transaction.

Direct Transfers (No Mixer)

Mixer Flows (Maximum Anonymity)

Multi-Hop Combinations

For maximum privacy, users can chain multiple hops:

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Registration Requirements

Before interacting with Umbra, users may need to register cryptographic material depending on their intended use:

Registration Combinations

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The Mixing Delay

When depositing into the mixer pool, a mixing delay is enforced before the UTXO can be burned. This delay is critical for privacy.

Why the Delay Matters

Without a mixing delay, an observer could correlate deposits and withdrawals by timing:

With a mixing delay, many deposits accumulate before any can be withdrawn, creating an anonymity set:

Delay Mechanics

The longer you wait beyond the minimum delay, the larger your anonymity set becomes as more users deposit into the pool.

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Transaction Types Quick Reference

Registration Instructions

Transfer Instructions

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Sending to Non-Registered Users

A powerful feature of Umbra is the ability to send funds to users who haven't yet registered with the protocol. This is achieved through ephemeral keys and sender-initiated burns.

For a deep dive into strategies for setting the unlocking address when creating UTXOs, see Unlocking Address Strategies.