---
title: Swap BTC to ZEC without an account | Sablebolt
description: Swap BTC for ZEC without an account: live floating rate, network fee shown before you send, about 21–44 minutes from deposit to payout.
url: https://sablebolt.io/swap/btc/zec
---

# Swap BTC to ZEC

Swap Bitcoin for Zcash without an account: enter the amount, paste your t1… or u1… address and send BTC from any wallet.

- **Arrival:** ≈ 21–44 min

- **Confirmations:** 2 on Bitcoin

- **Rate:** Floating

- **Fee token after arrival:** ZEC

## When this route is the right one

You hold bitcoin and want ZEC — to pay someone who asks for Zcash, or to hold a coin whose shielded pool lets you keep balances and later payments out of public view. The Bitcoin you start with is fully public; where the ZEC goes afterwards is up to the address type you choose.

Bitcoin cannot be sent to a Zcash address. The BTC goes to a one-time Bitcoin address, is counted after 2 confirmations — 21–44 minutes, mostly block time — and ZEC is sent to the address you gave. Zcash blocks target 75 seconds, so the payout is in a block within a minute or two of being sent.

## BTC vs ZEC — side by side

|  | BTC on Bitcoin | ZEC on Zcash |
|---|---|---|
| Address format | 1…, 3…, bc1… | t1… or u1… |
| Fee token | BTC | ZEC |
| Confirmations we wait for | 2 | 6 |
| Explorer | blockchain.com | blockchair.com |

## What happens, in order

1. Enter the BTC amount and your Zcash address Paste a transparent address (t1…) or a unified address (u1…) from your wallet. Legacy shielded addresses starting with zs… or zc… are not accepted by the form.
2. Send bitcoin to the deposit address You get a one-time Bitcoin address. Send the exact amount in one transaction with a fee that confirms within the next few blocks.
3. Bitcoin confirms We wait for 2 confirmations. The ZEC amount is fixed at the second one; a slow block stretches the wait, not the amount.
4. ZEC is paid out The status page links your Bitcoin deposit and the Zcash payout hash on Blockchair. Open your Zcash wallet to see the balance; a wallet that was closed needs to scan the new blocks first.

## Before you send — checklist

- The Zcash address starts with t1 or u1. A zs… or zc… address is rejected before the swap starts, so paste the right type.
- If the address belongs to an exchange, use the t1… (or t3…) address its deposit page shows.
- The Bitcoin fee is set to confirm soon; the rate is fixed only at the second confirmation.
- One Bitcoin transaction for the full amount; two payments to the same address are not merged.
- You saved the status link.

## The two mistakes that cost money on this route

### Pasting a legacy shielded address

Older Zcash wallets show Sapling addresses that start with zs; the form does not accept them. To have the ZEC arrive shielded, use a wallet that gives you a unified address (u1…) — ZIP 316 lets one address bundle Orchard, Sapling and transparent receivers (checked on 12 October 2026) — or receive to t1… and shield afterwards.

### Expecting the exchange to show the deposit at once

Exchanges set their own confirmation count for ZEC and credit the deposit only after it. The status page shows the payout as done when the Zcash transaction is sent; the exchange balance follows a few blocks later. Check the hash on Blockchair before you contact anyone.

## Other ways to make the same move

| Way | What you need | Where it is slower or dearer |
|---|---|---|
| An exchange that lists ZEC | An account, a BTC deposit, a trade, a ZEC withdrawal to a transparent address | Two waits and a withdrawal fee; most exchanges withdraw only to t-addresses |
| A decentralised swap protocol | Software that supports the pair, a counterparty online, patience | Hours; limited liquidity for this pair |
| This swap | Two addresses | A floating rate fixed at the second Bitcoin confirmation |

## What is visible on-chain

Your bitcoin transaction is permanent and public: outputs spent, deposit address, amount, fee. On the Zcash side, what Blockchair shows depends on the address you gave. A payout to a t1… address is as readable as a Bitcoin payment — amount, sender, recipient. A payout to a u1… address is listed by its hash; if the payment used a shielded receiver, no amount and no recipient are shown. Your own wallet shows it either way.

## FAQ

How long does it take?

About 21–44 minutes: 2 Bitcoin confirmations plus processing. Zcash blocks target 75 seconds, so the payout is mined quickly once sent.

Should I give a t1… or a u1… address?

t1… is transparent: amount and address are public, like Bitcoin, and every exchange accepts it. u1… is a unified address (ZIP 316); depending on its receivers the payout can land in a shielded pool, and the explorer shows only a hash. Use u1… for a personal wallet that offers it; for an exchange, use the address it gives you.

Why is my zs… address rejected?

Sapling-only addresses are not accepted on this route. Modern wallets wrap the same Sapling receiver inside a unified address starting with u1 — look for that in the wallet's receive screen.

What is the minimum?

It is shown under the amount field and follows the Bitcoin fee market; on a busy Bitcoin day it is higher.

Can I send the bitcoin from an exchange?

Yes, on the Bitcoin network. The exchange deducts its withdrawal fee, so withdraw slightly more than the figure on this page.

What if the swap cannot be completed?

Write to support with the swap ID from the status page. The form has no refund address: a swap that cannot be completed is handled by hand, and a return to the address you sent from is arranged under the partner's rules, less the network fee.

## Related routes

About the coins on this route: [Bitcoin (BTC)](https://sablebolt.io/coin/bitcoin) · [Zcash (ZEC)](https://sablebolt.io/coin/zcash)

- [USDT TRC-20 → BTC](https://sablebolt.io/swap/usdt-trc20/btc)
- [BTC → USDT TRC-20](https://sablebolt.io/swap/btc/usdt-trc20)
- [USDT BEP-20 → BTC](https://sablebolt.io/swap/usdt-bep20/btc)
- [USDT ERC-20 → BTC](https://sablebolt.io/swap/usdt-erc20/btc)
- [BTC → USDT ERC-20](https://sablebolt.io/swap/btc/usdt-erc20)
- [BTC → XMR](https://sablebolt.io/swap/btc/xmr)

Read next [BTC to XMR step by step: confirmations, timing and the 10-block lock](https://sablebolt.io/blog/btc-to-xmr-step-by-step)

Read next [Reading a swap status page: every state from waiting to finished](https://sablebolt.io/blog/reading-a-swap-status-page)

Read next [Floating rate: what changes between the estimate and the payout](https://sablebolt.io/blog/floating-rate-estimate-vs-payout)

## External resources

- [Zcash documentation — address types](https://zcash.readthedocs.io/en/latest/rtd_pages/addresses.html)
- [ZIP 316 — Unified Addresses](https://zips.z.cash/zip-0316)
- [Zcash — NU5 upgrade (Orchard and Unified Addresses)](https://z.cash/upgrade/nu5/)
- [CoinGecko — Zcash](https://www.coingecko.com/en/coins/zcash)
- [Blockchair — Zcash](https://blockchair.com/zcash)