Tornado Cash
AuditedImmutableTornado Cash is an immutable non-custodial privacy protocol that uses zk-SNARK proofs to break the on-chain link between deposit and withdrawal addresses.
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The Problem
Every Ethereum transaction is publicly linkable between sender and recipient, leaking the entire on-chain history of any wallet to anyone who looks.
The Solution
Tornado Cash deposits a fixed denomination into a pool contract and lets the user withdraw to a fresh address using a zk-SNARK proof, severing the on-chain link between the two addresses inside an anonymity set of all other depositors in the same pool.
Why it Matters
The mixer contracts are fully immutable — no admin, no upgrade, no pause, no blacklist — verified on-chain and proven through the 2023 governance attack (where the attacker hijacked the DAO but could not touch a single ETH in the pools).
Protocol Metrics
Related Research
View allFrequently asked questions about Tornado Cash
What is Tornado Cash?+
Tornado Cash is a Privacy protocol operating on Ethereum, BSC, Polygon, Gnosis, Avalanche, Optimism, Arbitrum. Tornado Cash is an immutable non-custodial privacy protocol that uses zk-SNARK proofs to break the on-chain link between deposit and withdrawal addresses.
How does Tornado Cash work?+
Tornado Cash deposits a fixed denomination into a pool contract and lets the user withdraw to a fresh address using a zk-SNARK proof, severing the on-chain link between the two addresses inside an anonymity set of all other depositors in the same pool.
Is Tornado Cash safe?+
DeFi Sentinel rates Tornado Cash A with a safety score of 77/100, indicating low-to-moderate risk. The score reflects five risk dimensions: smart contract & technical risk, economic design & market risk, governance & centralization, sustainability & competitive position, and reputation & social trust. Tornado Cash has 1 audit on record. DeFi Sentinel's analysis flagged 2 high, 4 medium, 1 low risk alerts across Smart Contract & Technical Risk, Governance & Centralization, Sustainability & Competitive Position and Reputation & Social Trust. As with all DeFi protocols, residual risk remains and users should review the full risk breakdown before depositing.
What is the safety score of Tornado Cash?+
Tornado Cash has a DeFi Sentinel safety score of 77/100 (rating A), last updated September 16, 2026. The score is computed across smart contract & technical risk (30%), economic design & market risk (25%), governance & centralization (20%), sustainability & competitive position (15%), and reputation & social trust (10%).
Which chains does Tornado Cash support?+
Tornado Cash is deployed on Ethereum, BSC, Polygon, Gnosis, Avalanche, Optimism, Arbitrum.
Has Tornado Cash been audited?+
Yes. Tornado Cash has 1 audit report on record from firms including ABDK Consulting. Audit reports and dates are linked under the Resources tab on this page.