#dusk $DUSK @Dusk **DuskEVM privacy** is provided primarily through **Hedger**, Dusk’s dedicated privacy module for the EVM execution layer.
### What DuskEVM is
DuskEVM is the Ethereum-compatible execution environment on Dusk. Developers can use familiar tools (Solidity, Hardhat, Foundry, standard EVM wallets, etc.) and pay gas in $DUSK . It settles on Dusk’s underlying layer (DuskDS).
By default, like most EVM chains, transactions and balances on DuskEVM are public. Privacy is added when needed via Hedger.
### How Hedger provides privacy
Hedger enables **confidential (private) transactions** on DuskEVM using a combination of:
- **Homomorphic Encryption (HE)** — Based on ElGamal over elliptic curves. This allows computations (such as adding or subtracting amounts) to be performed directly on *encrypted* values without decrypting them.
- **Zero-Knowledge Proofs (ZKPs)** — Used to prove that the encrypted operations are correct (e.g., the sender has sufficient balance, the amounts add up properly, no double-spending) without revealing the actual numbers or balances.
**Result**:
- Balances and transfer amounts stay encrypted end-to-end.
- Users can move funds between public wallets and private (Hedger) balances.
- Confidential transfers can be made between Hedger wallets while keeping amounts and holdings hidden from the public.
### Key characteristics
| Feature | Description |
|---------|-------------|
| **Confidential balances & transfers** | Amounts and ownership details are encrypted |
| **Compliance-ready / auditable privacy** | Designed so authorized parties (e.g., regulators or auditors) can review when required via selective disclosure or proofs |
| **EVM compatibility** | Works with standard Ethereum tooling and account model |
| **Performance** | Lightweight circuits support fast (sub-2-second) client-side proof generation |
| **Not full anonymity** | The account-based EVM model limits absolute anonymity (unlike pure UTXO privacy systems like Phoenix/Zedger on the native Dusk layer), but it delivers strong transactional privacy.
### What DuskEVM is
DuskEVM is the Ethereum-compatible execution environment on Dusk. Developers can use familiar tools (Solidity, Hardhat, Foundry, standard EVM wallets, etc.) and pay gas in $DUSK . It settles on Dusk’s underlying layer (DuskDS).
By default, like most EVM chains, transactions and balances on DuskEVM are public. Privacy is added when needed via Hedger.
### How Hedger provides privacy
Hedger enables **confidential (private) transactions** on DuskEVM using a combination of:
- **Homomorphic Encryption (HE)** — Based on ElGamal over elliptic curves. This allows computations (such as adding or subtracting amounts) to be performed directly on *encrypted* values without decrypting them.
- **Zero-Knowledge Proofs (ZKPs)** — Used to prove that the encrypted operations are correct (e.g., the sender has sufficient balance, the amounts add up properly, no double-spending) without revealing the actual numbers or balances.
**Result**:
- Balances and transfer amounts stay encrypted end-to-end.
- Users can move funds between public wallets and private (Hedger) balances.
- Confidential transfers can be made between Hedger wallets while keeping amounts and holdings hidden from the public.
### Key characteristics
| Feature | Description |
|---------|-------------|
| **Confidential balances & transfers** | Amounts and ownership details are encrypted |
| **Compliance-ready / auditable privacy** | Designed so authorized parties (e.g., regulators or auditors) can review when required via selective disclosure or proofs |
| **EVM compatibility** | Works with standard Ethereum tooling and account model |
| **Performance** | Lightweight circuits support fast (sub-2-second) client-side proof generation |
| **Not full anonymity** | The account-based EVM model limits absolute anonymity (unlike pure UTXO privacy systems like Phoenix/Zedger on the native Dusk layer), but it delivers strong transactional privacy.