Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about SHADE Protocol, authorizations, and the $SHADE token.
Important: SHADE v0 has no ZK or privacy features. All transactions are public. Privacy is planned for v1 (opt-in). Fog Pools are custodial in v0.
What is SHADE Protocol?
SHADE is an authorization-based payment protocol on Solana. Instead of holding funds in a wallet, users receive cryptographic permission to spend from shared liquidity pools called Fog Pools.
What version is currently live?
SHADE v0 is live on Solana. v0 includes authorization-based spending, Fog Pools, staking, and fee distribution. ZK privacy features are planned for v1 and are NOT implemented in v0.
Is SHADE private?
No, v0 has no privacy features. All transactions, authorizations, and protocol state are public on-chain. Privacy (authorization unlinking) is planned for v1 as an opt-in feature.
What will v1 privacy hide?
v1 will enable authorization unlinking — hiding which authorization a spend drew from. Spend amounts and transaction signers will still be public unless additional infrastructure (relayers) is used.
How is this different from a regular wallet?
Traditional wallets store your balance on-chain. SHADE stores no user balances — only authorization credentials. When you spend, funds come from Fog Pools managed by pool authorities.
What are Fog Pools?
Fog Pools are shared liquidity reservoirs managed by a pool authority. In v0, they are custodial — depositors trust the authority. There is no withdrawal mechanism in v0.
Is SHADE trustless?
No. SHADE v0 is NOT trustless DeFi. Fog Pools are custodial (trust the authority). Staking and rewards ARE self-custodial — you control your own stake and claims.
Do I need $SHADE tokens to use the protocol?
Staking $SHADE unlocks higher spending tiers (Bronze/Silver/Gold) with increased limits. Stakers also earn USDC from protocol fees proportional to their stake.
How do staking rewards work?
Protocol fees (in USDC) are collected from spends and distributed to $SHADE stakers proportionally. You can claim your pending rewards at any time.
What are the staking tiers?
Bronze: 10,000 $SHADE, Silver: 100,000 $SHADE, Gold: 500,000 $SHADE. Higher tiers unlock higher spending caps and better fee share.
What happens if I lose my wallet keys?
You lose access to active authorizations and staked $SHADE. No funds are lost from Fog Pools because you never held them — they remain in the pool.
Can I revoke an authorization?
Yes, the pool authority (issuer) can revoke any active authorization at any time. Once revoked, it cannot be used for spending.
What blockchain is SHADE built on?
SHADE is built on Solana for fast, low-cost transactions. The $SHADE token is an SPL token on the Solana network.
Where can I buy $SHADE tokens?
$SHADE is available on Pump.fun. You can swap SOL for $SHADE directly on the platform.
Is SHADE open source?
Yes. Smart contracts and frontend are fully open source on GitHub. You can audit the code at github.com/shadepay2026-arch.
Who controls protocol upgrades?
Protocol upgrade authority will be transferred to a 2-of-3 multisig before mainnet. This provides security while maintaining upgrade capability for critical fixes.