> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.useshadowpay.com/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.useshadowpay.com/overview/readme.md).

# Introduction

**The private, non-custodial account for humans and AI agents on Solana.**

***

ShadowPay is a crypto neobank where transfer amounts stay confidential, settlement lands in under a second, and you hold your own keys the entire time. Addresses are visible on-chain. Amounts are not.

Every other financial product forces a trade-off. Traditional banks see your entire transaction history and share it with processors and advertisers. Public blockchains broadcast every balance and transfer to anyone who cares to look. ShadowPay takes a third path: your activity settles on Solana where anyone can verify it happened, but only you and the counterparty can see how much moved.

That same account works for a person getting paid in USDC and for an AI agent settling a compute bill at three in the morning. Agents hold their own wallets, operate under spend policies you define, and show up in your transaction feed like anything else.

***

## What makes ShadowPay different

|                  | ShadowPay                        | Typical crypto wallet | Traditional bank                            |
| ---------------- | -------------------------------- | --------------------- | ------------------------------------------- |
| Transfer amounts | Encrypted by default             | Fully public          | Hidden from the public, visible to the bank |
| Custody          | Non-custodial, keys on-device    | Non-custodial         | Custodial                                   |
| Settlement       | Sub-second, on-chain             | Sub-second, on-chain  | 1-3 business days                           |
| Agent support    | Native accounts, spend policies  | Bolted-on API, if any | None                                        |
| Compliance       | Selective disclosure to auditors | N/A                   | Full visibility to the institution          |
| Onboarding       | Passkey, no seed phrase required | Seed phrase           | Application and review                      |

***

## Built on Solana

ShadowPay is built on Solana's Confidential Balances token extension, which encrypts transfer amounts using zero-knowledge proofs while keeping sender and receiver addresses public. Combined with Solana's sub-second finality and near-zero fees, it's the first chain where private, instant, self-custodial payments are viable at consumer scale.

Accounts are denominated in USDC. SOL is held automatically as a gas reserve so you never think about network fees.

***

## Where to start

**New to ShadowPay?** → [How ShadowPay Works](/overview/how-shadowpay-works.md)

**Sending or receiving money?** → [Creating Your Account](/using-shadowpay/creating-your-account.md)

**Building or running an AI agent?** → [Agent Accounts Overview](/agents-and-automation/agent-accounts-overview.md)

**Integrating ShadowPay into your product?** → [API Reference](/api-reference/authentication.md)

**Want the technical detail on the privacy model?** → [Confidential Transfers Explained](/privacy-and-confidential-transfers/confidential-transfers.md)


---

# 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, and the optional `goal` query parameter:

```
GET https://docs.useshadowpay.com/overview/readme.md?ask=<question>&goal=<endgoal>
```

`ask` is the immediate question: it should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language.
`goal` is optional and describes the broader end goal you are ultimately trying to accomplish on behalf of the user. GitBook uses it to tailor the answer towards what is most useful for that goal.

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.