Namada – a next-generation Layer-1 blockchain for multichain privacy – has been buzzing with activity in recent months. After years of development, the Namada community achieved a fully decentralized mainnet launch in late 2024, kicking off a new era for privacy in crypto. In parallel, the project has rolled out innovative features and fostered community-driven initiatives that set it apart. From a phased mainnet rollout and cutting-edge privacy tech to unique governance experiments and cross-chain partnerships, here’s a comprehensive look at what Namada has been working on lately.
Mainnet Launch and Multi‑Phase Rollout
Namada’s mainnet officially went live on December 3, 2024, in a community-coordinated genesis event involving 180+ independent validators. This launch was notable for being fully decentralized – the Anoma Foundation (stewards of Namada’s code) did not run any validators, leaving network bootstrapping entirely to community participants. It was the culmination of ~2.5 years of development (since early 2022) and extensive testnets, including the “Shielded Expedition” incentivized testnet that helped battle-test the protocol at scale.
To ensure a secure and smooth onboarding of features, Namada’s mainnet is rolling out in five governance-controlled phases. Each phase activates new capabilities once the community votes to proceed. The phases include:
- Phase 1 – “Block Party” – Genesis launch with Proof-of-Stake consensus and on-chain governance enabled. Users could stake their NAM tokens to validators and participate in governance from day one.
- Phase 2 – “Staking Party” – Staking rewards and Public Goods Funding (PGF) activated via the first governance upgrade. This introduced inflationary rewards for stakers and opened Namada’s on-chain treasury to fund public goods.
- Phase 3 – “Shielding Party” – (Current Phase) IBC cross-chain transfers and asset shielding were enabled. Users can now transfer assets from other chains into Namada and shield them in Namada’s multi-asset shielded pool. (Note: NAM token transfers remain locked until Phase 5.)
- Phase 4 – “Shielding Rewards Party” – (Pending) Will activate shielding rewards. Once live, users who shield assets from approved external chains will earn rewards, incentivizing growth of the shielded set.
- Phase 5 – “NAM Party” – (Pending final stage) Will unlock NAM token transfers. At this point, the native NAM token becomes freely transferrable, marking full launch completion.
Each phase is initiated through Namada’s governance process, meaning the community collectively decides when to move forward. This cautious rollout has already seen success – the upgrade to Phase 2 passed smoothly in December, and Phase 3 was approved and activated by February 2025. With core staking and interoperability features now live, Namada’s network is steadily progressing toward full functionality under the watchful eye of its stakeholders.
Privacy Features and Interchain Integration
At its core, Namada is built to deliver unparalleled privacy across multiple blockchains. A cornerstone innovation is Namada’s Multi-Asset Shielded Pool (MASP) – a universal shielded set where assets from different chains (e.g. Cosmos tokens, Ethereum assets, etc.) can coexist privately. This unified shielded pool uses advanced zk-SNARK circuits (inspired by Zcash’s Sapling, but extended) to make transactions indistinguishable regardless of the asset. In practice, it means users can deposit an asset into Namada’s shielded pool and break the on-chain link between their deposit and withdrawal, achieving strong privacy for transfers and swaps across chains.
A flagship example of Namada’s cross-chain privacy is the upcoming Shielded Swaps integration with Osmosis, the popular Cosmos DEX. First unveiled at Osmosis’s Osmocon event, shielded swaps allow users to swap tokens on Osmosis without exposing their activity, using Namada as the privacy intermediary. The process was described in three steps: a user sends an asset (e.g. ATOM) from their Namada shielded address to Osmosis via IBC, trades it for another token (e.g. OSMO) on Osmosis, and then transfers the new token back into Namada’s shielded pool. Despite touching a public DEX in the middle, the round-trip looks like a single private transaction to outside observers. The net result is a private cross-chain swap – the source and destination of funds appear unlinked, thanks to Namada’s shielding. This integration is a major leap for DeFi privacy, letting users enjoy the liquidity of Osmosis while maintaining Namada’s anonymity guarantees.
Beyond Osmosis, Namada has been proactive in forging partnerships to expand its privacy ecosystem. Notably, the team proposed a strategic alliance with Zcash, the original privacy coin. This alliance includes plans for a shielded airdrop of NAM tokens to ZEC holders and a future trust-minimized bridge between Zcash and Namada. The idea is to allow Zcash users (“Zeedholders”) to use their ZEC within Namada and even across the Cosmos and Ethereum ecosystems via Namada’s interchain connectivity. In return, Namada acknowledges Zcash’s contributions to privacy tech and sets up a grants pool to fund projects benefiting both communities. While this Zcash-Namada partnership is still in development, it underscores Namada’s broader vision of being a privacy hub that collaborates rather than competes with other networks.
Community Governance and Initiatives
One of Namada’s standout qualities is how community-driven the project is at every level. The on-chain governance system isn’t just a formality – it has been actively used to steer the network’s direction from the start. In fact, the very first proposals on Namada’s mainnet governance were to enact the phase upgrades and to fund public goods. By mid-December, the community had already passed a proposal to activate Phase 2 (enabling staking rewards and the treasury). And shortly after, the second on-chain proposal made history with Namada’s first Public Goods Funding campaign.
Looking ahead, the community will soon decide on Phase 4 to activate shielding rewards. Once approved, users who deposit (shield) external assets into Namada will start earning incentive rewards – further encouraging adoption of Namada’s privacy features. The final Phase 5, which will unlock normal NAM token transfers, will follow once the community is confident in the network’s stability. Enabling transfers will likely coincide with broader exchange listings and greater liquidity for NAM, so the careful approach to reach that stage reflects a security-conscious mentality. If all goes well, 2025 should see Namada fully unlocked, with its native token freely circulating.
In summary, Namada has quickly evolved from a promising concept into a blossoming network with a live community, real economic activity, and a clear mission: to make privacy a standard, seamless feature across blockchains. The recent mainnet launch and updates show a project balancing prudence with pioneering ideas. The shielded era they heralded is just getting started, and it’s poised to reshape how we think about privacy in crypto.