Confidential APT arrives on the Petra browser extension
Aptos users can now hold and send encrypted APT balances from the Petra browser extension, with amounts hidden on-chain. The rollout follows the April mainnet launch via Proposal 188 and a July mobile expansion.
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From Mainnet to Mobile and Now Desktop
@PetraWallet users on desktop can now hold and send encrypted $APT balances directly from the wallet's browser extension, with transaction amounts hidden on-chain while sender and receiver addresses remain publicly visible. The move extends a rollout that has been building across platforms throughout 2026.
Aptos Proposal 188 executed on April 24, enabling APT confidentiality on mainnet. Aptos announced access through Petra and its Confidential Assets web interface on June 17, followed by a broader Petra mobile rollout in July. The browser extension marks the latest step in that expansion.
Confidential APT is an opt-in feature inside Aptos's fungible-asset framework. A user moves public APT into a protocol pool, registers an encryption key, and receives an encrypted balance. Transfers within that confidential domain update encrypted claims rather than moving the underlying APT out of the pool.
How the Privacy Layer Works
The feature uses zero-knowledge proofs and Twisted ElGamal encryption to hide wallet balances and transfer amounts while keeping addresses publicly visible on-chain. Confidential APT maintains a 1:1 peg with standard APT and functions natively on the network.
@Aptos frames the feature as opt-in and built for compliant use. Governance-controlled auditor keys enable authorized access to transaction data for compliance and investigative purposes, with the implementation targeting enterprise use cases including confidential payroll, treasury operations, and trading activities.
As of an August 16 snapshot, APT confidentiality was enabled, allowlisting was active, the emergency pause was off, and the public confidential pool held approximately 15,116 APT. The desktop extension brings the feature to a wider slice of the Aptos user base, with Petra, developed by Aptos Labs, remaining the most widely used wallet and often treated as the official entry point to the ecosystem.
Sources
CertiK: Aptos Confidential APT, Verifiable Encrypted Transfers on Mainnet
Everstake: Aptos in 2026, Latest News and DeFi Updates
MoneyCheck: Aptos Rolls Out Privacy-Enhanced Token With Compliance Framework
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Crypto RichRich has been researching cryptocurrency and blockchain technology for eight years and has served as a senior analyst at BSCN since its founding in 2020. He focuses on fundamental analysis of early-stage crypto projects and tokens and has published in-depth research reports on over 200 emerging protocols. Rich also writes about broader technology and scientific trends and maintains active involvement in the crypto community through X/Twitter Spaces, and leading industry events.