> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://whitepaper.lacunalabs.io/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://whitepaper.lacunalabs.io/the-lacuna-wallet/shielded-balances.md). # Shielded Balances & Notes A shielded balance isn't a number sitting in an account — it's a set of private **notes** that only you can spend. ## How Notes Work When you shield funds, Lacuna creates a note: a cryptographic commitment representing an amount that belongs to your secret key. The note is recorded in the shielded pool, but the amount and owner stay hidden inside the commitment. When you spend — transfer, swap, or unshield — your wallet proves with a zero-knowledge proof that you own a valid note worth enough to cover the action, and creates new notes for the outputs. The old note is marked spent via a nullifier so it can't be double-spent, without revealing which note it was. ## What This Gives You * Your total shielded balance is private. * Individual transfers aren't linkable to your deposits. * Double-spends are cryptographically impossible. See [Shielded Pools & The Anonymity Set](/how-lacuna-works/shielded-pools.md) for the pool-level view. --- # Agent Instructions This documentation is published with GitBook. GitBook is the documentation platform designed so that both humans and AI agents can read, navigate, and reason over technical content effectively. Learn more at gitbook.com. ## Querying This Documentation If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question. Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter: ``` GET https://whitepaper.lacunalabs.io/the-lacuna-wallet/shielded-balances.md?ask= ``` The question should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language. The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation. Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.