Unified Address (UA)

A Unified Address (starting with "u1") is a newer Zcash address format introduced with the Orchard upgrade. It can encode multiple types of receivers — transparent and shielded — inside one address string.

When someone sends funds to a Unified Address, the sending wallet automatically uses the most private receiver type it supports. This simplifies the user experience: instead of managing separate transparent and shielded addresses, a wallet can share one Unified Address and let the sender's wallet capabilities determine the outcome.

Holding a Unified Address doesn't by itself guarantee every incoming payment is shielded, though: if the sender's wallet or service only supports a transparent receiver, that payment uses it, and the transaction stays publicly visible on-chain like any transparent transaction.