What is Secret (SCRT) Crypto Coin? Privacy-Preserving Blockchain Explained

• DATE: 18 09 25
• BY: Stellan Marwick

Most blockchains are like open books. Every transaction, every contract, every balance - all visible to anyone. That’s fine for public ledgers like Bitcoin, but what if you’re sending money to a doctor, voting in an election, or trading assets without wanting the whole world to know your details? That’s where Secret (SCRT) comes in.

Secret Network isn’t just another crypto coin

Secret Network vs Traditional Blockchains

Feature	Secret Network (SCRT)	Ethereum / Bitcoin
Transaction Visibility	Public (like Bitcoin)	Public
Smart Contract Data	Encrypted by default	Completely public
Privacy Layer	Built into protocol	Added on top (if at all)
Consensus	Proof-of-Stake	Proof-of-Work (Bitcoin), Proof-of-Stake (Ethereum)
Core Tech	Trusted Execution Environments (TEE)	Public ledger + cryptographic signatures

SCRT is the native token of Secret Network - a Layer-1 blockchain launched in February 2020. But unlike Bitcoin or Ethereum, Secret Network doesn’t just hide transaction amounts. It encrypts everything inside smart contracts - inputs, outputs, and state changes - even from the nodes running the network. That’s not an add-on. It’s the core design.

How? Through Trusted Execution Environments (TEEs). These are secure, isolated areas inside computer processors (like Intel SGX) where code runs without anyone else seeing what’s happening. Think of it like a locked room inside a public library. Everyone knows the book was checked out, but no one can read the pages inside. Secret Network uses this to run smart contracts with encrypted data. No one - not even miners or validators - can see what you’re doing inside the contract.

Why does encrypted smart contract data matter?

Imagine using a decentralized finance (DeFi) app on Ethereum. You lend $10,000. Everyone on the blockchain sees your wallet address, how much you lent, who you lent it to, and when you paid it back. That’s fine if you’re okay with that. But what if you’re a small business owner? What if you’re in a country with strict financial surveillance? What if you’re using a private health app that stores medical records on-chain?

On Secret Network, none of that data is exposed. Your loan amount stays hidden. Your medical history stays hidden. Your voting choices stay hidden. The contract still works - it still verifies, calculates, and executes - but only you and the parties you authorize can see the details.

This isn’t theoretical. Real apps already use it. SCRT Swap lets you trade tokens privately. Secret NFT marketplaces let you buy digital art without revealing your identity or purchase history. There are even private voting systems for DAOs where members can vote without exposing their preferences.

SCRT token: What it’s used for

SCRT isn’t just a store of value. It’s the fuel of the network. You need it to:

• Stake and earn rewards for securing the network
• Pay for transaction fees
• Interact with privacy-preserving dApps
• Participate in governance (voting on upgrades)

It runs on a Proof-of-Stake system, so you don’t need expensive mining rigs. Just hold SCRT, delegate it to a validator, and earn passive income. As of 2025, the total supply is capped at 111.7 million SCRT, with about 85% already in circulation. The network has a low inflation rate, and rewards are distributed weekly.

How it’s different from Monero and Zcash

People often compare Secret Network to Monero (XMR) or Zcash (ZEC). But they’re solving different problems.

• Monero hides sender, receiver, and amount on transactions - but it can’t run complex apps like DeFi or NFTs with privacy.
• Zcash offers optional shielded transactions using zk-SNARKs, but most users still use transparent addresses.
• Secret Network encrypts smart contracts themselves. You can build a private loan platform, a confidential marketplace, or a secure identity system - all on-chain, all hidden.

Secret Network doesn’t just make transactions private. It makes applications private. That’s why it’s called the “confidential computing hub of Web3 and AI.”

Secret AI and the future of privacy

In 2023, Secret Network launched Secret AI - a new layer that lets you train and run large language models (LLMs) inside TEEs. That means you can use AI to analyze medical records, financial reports, or personal data - without ever exposing the raw data to the cloud or the developer.

Imagine a startup building an AI assistant for mental health. On regular cloud servers, your conversations are stored, analyzed, and sometimes sold. On Secret Network, the AI processes your input inside an encrypted enclave. The company never sees your words. Only you do. And the system still learns and improves.

This is a big deal. As AI becomes more powerful, so does the need for privacy. Secret Network is one of the few blockchains designed to handle that.

Who uses Secret Network?

As of late 2025, there are over 45 live dApps on Secret Network. The user base breaks down roughly like this:

• 62% - Privacy-focused crypto users who don’t want their activity tracked
• 28% - DeFi traders who want to hide their positions and strategies
• 10% - Enterprise developers building compliant, confidential systems

It’s popular in regions with strict financial controls or surveillance. Users in Southeast Asia, Latin America, and parts of Europe have adopted it for private transactions and asset protection.

Secret Network also integrates with other blockchains through Secret Bridges. You can bring ETH, BNB, or USDC onto Secret Network and make them private. That’s huge for cross-chain privacy.

Challenges and criticisms

It’s not perfect.

First, setting up a node requires special hardware - Intel SGX or compatible TEE support. Most consumer laptops don’t have it. That limits who can run validators. Second, developing on Secret Network is harder than on Ethereum. You need to learn Rust, understand Cosmos SDK, and debug encrypted code - which is tricky. The developer community is small, with around 12,500 active members across Discord and Telegram.

Beginners often struggle with staking. One user reported spending three hours just to get their first SCRT stake working. Documentation is solid, but tutorials for new users are sparse.

There’s also competition. Ethereum has privacy layers like Aztec and zkSync. If they become mainstream, Secret Network could lose ground. But those solutions are add-ons. Secret Network was built for privacy from day one.

Is Secret Network right for you?

If you’re looking for a coin to flip quickly - maybe not. SCRT doesn’t have the hype of meme coins. Its value comes from utility, not speculation.

If you care about privacy - especially in finance, health, or identity - then yes. Secret Network is the only blockchain that gives you true data confidentiality without sacrificing decentralization. It’s not about hiding illegal activity. It’s about protecting your right to keep your business private.

As global privacy laws like GDPR tighten, companies will need solutions like this. Governments are already exploring blockchain for digital IDs and voting. If they want privacy, Secret Network is one of the few options ready.

Getting started with SCRT

To use SCRT, you need a wallet that supports Secret Network. Keplr is the most popular. You can buy SCRT on Kraken, Binance, or KuCoin. Once you have it:

1. Connect your wallet to a Secret Network dApp (like SCRT Swap)
2. Use the “Private Swap” or “Shielded Transfer” option
3. Confirm your transaction - your data stays encrypted

Staking is simple: delegate your SCRT to a validator through your wallet. You’ll earn 8-12% APY, paid weekly. No lock-up period.

For developers: Check out the Secret Network GitHub. There are starter templates for privacy-preserving smart contracts in Rust. The learning curve is steep, but the payoff is unique.

Final thoughts

Secret Network isn’t trying to be the biggest blockchain. It’s trying to be the most private. And in a world where every click, purchase, and message is tracked, that’s not just useful - it’s necessary.

SCRT isn’t just a coin. It’s a tool for reclaiming control over your digital life. Whether you’re trading, voting, or using AI, you shouldn’t have to choose between innovation and privacy. Secret Network says you shouldn’t have to.