# Hinkal

> Hinkal: Private DeFi layer. Technology: zero-knowledge proofs.

Part of the Soda Labs Privacy Hub, a neutral directory of the on-chain privacy
landscape: https://www.sodalabs.xyz/privacy-hub

## Key facts

- Entry type: Privacy project
- Category: Private DeFi layer
- Technology: Zero-knowledge proofs (ZK)
- Website: https://www.hinkal.io
- Tags: ZK, DeFi
- Canonical page: https://www.sodalabs.xyz/privacy-hub/hinkal

## Overview

Hinkal took shielded balances further than most, letting users hold assets privately and then deploy them directly inside DeFi protocols across several chains, rather than shielding transfers alone. An access check put compliance in front of the pool rather than after it. In July 2026 an exploit drained roughly 820 thousand dollars, close to the value locked in the protocol at the time, and no post-mortem has been published since. Listed here for completeness of the map.

## About Zero-knowledge proofs

One party proves a statement about hidden data is true without revealing the data the statement is about. Compared side by side with the other approaches at https://www.sodalabs.xyz/taxonomy.

## Sources

- [Hinkal](https://www.hinkal.io)
- [July 2026 incident](https://www.cryptopolitan.com/hinkal-privacy-protocol-exploited-for-820000-as-attacker-funnels-stolen-funds-through-tornado-cash/)

## Related entries

- [Railgun](https://www.sodalabs.xyz/privacy-hub/railgun): Private DeFi protocol
- [Aleo](https://www.sodalabs.xyz/privacy-hub/aleo): Privacy L1
- [Aztec](https://www.sodalabs.xyz/privacy-hub/aztec): Privacy L2
- [Miden](https://www.sodalabs.xyz/privacy-hub/miden): Client-side proving chain (upcoming)
- [Mina](https://www.sodalabs.xyz/privacy-hub/mina): Succinct blockchain
- [Namada](https://www.sodalabs.xyz/privacy-hub/namada): Multi-asset shielded L1