> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://cyphers-3138df4b.mintlify.site/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# How privacy works

> What's hidden, what's not, and how Cyphers keeps your side encrypted on Solana.

Cyphers hides which side you bet on — YES, NO, or which option — until the market settles. Your wallet address and stake are still public. Here's how it works.

## What's hidden, what's not

| On your position     | Visible to others? |
| -------------------- | ------------------ |
| Wallet address       | Yes                |
| Stake amount         | Yes                |
| Locked-in odds       | Yes                |
| **Your chosen side** | **No — encrypted** |
| Settlement result    | Yes, once resolved |

## How the encryption works

When you click **Bet**, your browser runs a short key-exchange before anything touches Solana:

```mermaid theme={null}
sequenceDiagram
    participant B as Your browser
    participant S as Solana
    participant A as Arcium

    B->>B: Generate one-time keypair
    B->>B: Compute shared secret with Arcium's public key
    B->>B: Encrypt your side using shared secret
    B->>S: Submit tx (encrypted bytes + stake)
    Note over S: Side stays hidden on-chain
    S-->>A: Market closes
    A->>A: Independently computes same shared secret
    A->>A: Decrypts every bet, computes payouts
    A->>S: Write results
    Note over S: Winners can now claim
```

The shared secret — the number both sides derive independently using Diffie-Hellman — never appears on chain. Anyone reading the chain sees encrypted bytes they can't reverse.

## The key in your browser

After a successful bet, the app saves your private key to browser local storage, keyed by market + bet index. It uses this key for one thing: **showing you your own side** in the Positions tab.

<Warning>
  Clearing browser data or switching to a different device removes this key. Your side shows as "encrypted" in the UI — but your bet and payout are completely safe. The protocol already knows the result from the Arcium decryption at settlement. You don't need the key to claim.
</Warning>

## What Cyphers doesn't protect

* **Your wallet is public.** Anyone can list your on-chain positions.
* **Your stake is public.** The amount is in plain text on chain.
* **That you bet on a market is public.** Cyphers hides what you bet, not that you bet.
* **Timing is public.** Block timestamps show roughly when each bet was placed.

If you need to hide your participation entirely, you'd need a separate wallet — that's outside what Cyphers does.

## What's next

* [Market lifecycle](/how-it-works/lifecycle) — what happens after the market closes.
* [FAQ](/troubleshooting/faq) — common questions about privacy and key recovery.