Citrea Acquired Wallet Provider Crest
The acquisition aims to expand privacy tools for Bitcoin and Ethereum users through a new mobile wallet.
Updated on Sept. 23, 2026 in Cybersecurity
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Citrea has acquired the self-custodial wallet provider Crest to serve as its flagship privacy product. The company plans to release a mobile wallet enabling private Bitcoin transactions in the coming weeks.
Why it matters
This move signals a strategic push to integrate privacy features directly into the Bitcoin ecosystem. By enabling cross-chain capabilities between Bitcoin and Ethereum, the integration aims to streamline the movement of assets while maintaining transaction privacy.
The platform utilizes shielded Bitcoin addresses to facilitate private payments. It also supports cross-chain transfers between the Bitcoin network and Ethereum.
The players
Citrea
A developer focused on scaling and privacy solutions for the Bitcoin ecosystem.
Crest
A provider of self-custodial wallet infrastructure now serving as Citrea's privacy arm.
Meliksah Gurtemel
The new product lead at Citrea responsible for the firm's privacy-focused initiatives.
Chainway Labs
A research group focused on cryptographic privacy protocols such as Proof of Innocence.
The details
The wallet functions by implementing mechanisms that allow users to manage assets across Bitcoin and Ethereum. It leverages shielded addresses, which use cryptographic techniques to obscure the sender, receiver, and transaction amount on the public ledger. The technology builds on previous research, including Proof of Innocence, a protocol developed by Chainway Labs to prove transaction legitimacy without revealing source data.
Timeline
Coming weeks: Citrea will release its mobile privacy wallet.
The Tech Race
This development follows the path set by Chainway Labs' Proof of Innocence protocol to integrate privacy features into public blockchains. It positions Citrea to compete by scaling cryptographic privacy solutions directly into a mobile-first user experience.
Users will soon gain access to a mobile wallet designed to handle private Bitcoin transactions through shielded addresses. The product is expected to launch in the coming weeks, providing a new workflow for moving assets between Bitcoin and Ethereum.
The takeaway
The acquisition marks a transition from research-stage privacy protocols to integrated, mobile-native consumer tools. Watch for the public release of the mobile wallet in the coming weeks to verify how effectively the shielded address technology maintains privacy across chain transfers.
Further reading
For more on the evolution of private digital asset custody, visit Cybersecurity.
Live Poll
Do you trust privacy-focused cryptocurrency wallets to protect your personal financial data?
