How Is RAILGUN Different to a Mixer?

No, RAILGUN is not a mixer or mixing service in any sense. At the protocol infrastructure level, RAILGUN is a smart contract wallet, meaning that funds are controlled by user private keys only. In this way, RAILGUN is like any other wallet, only the holder of the private keys can decrypt the notes/UTXOs and spend the funds held in a wallet. At no point are user funds "mixed" to achieve privacy as a mixing service in a traditional sense would.

Instead, RAILGUN achieves privacy through zk-SNARK cryptography.

How are zk-SNARKs different?

Using zk-SNARK cryptography built into on-chain smart contracts, RAILGUN achieves complete privacy and user anonymity whilst avoiding the need to move funds across bridges. Further, RAILGUN is as secure as the chain it is deployed on as there is no separate centralized validator set and the RAILGUN smart contract does not perform any consensus. At all times, consensus remains at the chain layer, meaning RAILGUN does not compromise by trading security and decentralization for privacy.

Mixers lack in functionality and ease of use. For example, mixers do not allow for internal shielded transactions or interactions with smart contracts. They may also require users to send and receive set amounts like 1 or 10 ETH. They also do not allow users to maintain permanent private balances in their wallets. RAILGUN, however, brings users privacy at rest – meaning user privacy is maintained even when no transactions are taking place.

The previous generation of privacy protocols cannot compare with the convenience, flexibility, and privacy guaranteed by RAILGUN. For more on how RAILGUN compares with layer-2 projects, see What are the Drawbacks of Layer-Two (Off-Chain) Blockchain Solutions?.

For more on how RAILGUN is different from a mixer, see How is RAILGUN Different from a Mixer?.