FAQ

Short answers to the questions traders ask first.

Is Cowl a mixer?

No. A mixer exists to break links. Cowl exists to keep your trading position off the public tape while it stays disclosable to an auditor. Different goal, different design, and a boundary that screens funds on the way in.

Is it compliant?

That is the whole thesis. compliance screening at the boundary keeps tainted funds out, and view keyslet you prove positions, P&L, and source of funds on request. You hide from the crowd, not from the law.

Do I need the chain’s gas token?

No. Once you hold shielded funds, the gasless relayer pays gas and deducts a small fee from your shielded balance. You never touch a public gas balance.

Can validators or the explorer see my trades?

No. They see commitments and nullifiers — opaque hashes with no amounts and no addresses attached. Your size, entries, and identity stay in shielded state. See the shielded pool.

What can an auditor see?

Exactly what your view key scopes them to — a time range, an asset, a flow — and nothing outside it. There is no switch that makes your whole account public.

What if a relayer goes offline or censors me?

Route through another. Relayers are independent and interchangeable; the worst one can do is ignore you. None can read or move your funds.

What do I actually trade?

Tokenized stocks and tokens native to Robinhood Chain — AAPLx, TSLAx, and the rest — settled in USDG. See private trading.

Is the protocol audited?

The ZK circuits and contracts go through independent audits before mainnet, with reports published here once available.