> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.silopay.io/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.silopay.io/resources/glossary.md).

# Glossary

**CCTP (Cross-Chain Transfer Protocol):** Circle's protocol for transferring USDC natively between supported blockchains. Silo uses CCTP for cross-chain USDC delivery at $0 Silo fee.

**Commerce (sub-type):** A Business tier account sub-type for businesses that accept payments from customers. The merchant always absorbs the Silo fee. Only Plus and Business users can send payments to Commerce accounts.

**Commitment:** A cryptographic hash that binds a secret and a withdrawal address together. Used in Silo's ZK layer to ensure that only the designated wallet can withdraw funds from the shared vault. The commitment is generated internally by Silo — users do not interact with it directly.

**Gross-Up Toggle:** An optional sender-side feature in peer-to-peer payments that allows the sender to cover the Silo privacy fee so the receiver gets the full amount. Off by default. Covers the Silo fee only, not swap fees. Not available in commerce or payroll flows.

**KYB (Know Your Business):** Identity verification for businesses, including business registration and beneficial ownership documentation. Required for Business tier accounts.

**KYC (Know Your Customer):** Identity verification for individuals, typically involving an ID and selfie. Required for Plus tier accounts.

**KYT (Know Your Transaction):** Real-time transaction screening that checks payment routes for risk signals. Applied to all transactions across all tiers.

**Payment Instruction:** An encrypted record built incrementally for every Silo transaction and finalized after the receiver withdraws. Contains the full details of the payment: sender identity, receiver identity, amounts, wallet addresses, routing details, compliance check results, and timestamps. Once finalized, encrypted using SEAL and uploaded to Walrus for permanent decentralized storage. Accessible only to Silo's backend under defined access controls. See Payment Instructions.

**Payroll (sub-type):** A Business tier account sub-type for businesses that pay employees or contractors. The employer always pays the Silo fee. Only Plus and Business users can receive payroll payments.

**Privacy Fee:** Silo's per-transaction fee. The only fee Silo charges. Covers privacy routing, compliance screening, encrypted record storage, and platform infrastructure. Rates vary by tier: 30 bps (Personal), 25 bps (Plus), 20 bps (Business).

**Receiver Preferences:** A set of account-level settings that determine how incoming payments are delivered: destination chain, preferred asset, and payout wallet(s). Configured once by the receiver and applied automatically to every incoming payment. See Usernames & Receiver Preferences.

**Redacted Receipt:** A privacy-preserving transaction confirmation provided to both sender and receiver after every payment. Shows the counterparty's username, amount, timestamp, and the user's own transaction hash, but does not expose the other party's wallet address or transaction hash. See Redacted Receipts.

**SEAL:** The encryption framework used to encrypt Payment Instructions before they are stored on Walrus. Ensures that transaction records are not readable without authorized access.

**Shared Vault:** A pooled, chain-specific smart contract vault where user funds are deposited during the payment process. By pooling multiple users' funds together, the vault breaks the deterministic on-chain link between individual deposits and withdrawals. This is the core mechanism behind Silo's on-chain privacy.

**Tier Gating:** The enforcement mechanism that controls which account tiers can participate in which payment types. Enforced at the routing layer. For example, Personal accounts cannot send to Commerce accounts or receive payroll. See Three-Tier System.

**Walrus:** Sui's decentralized storage layer. Silo uses Walrus to store encrypted Payment Instructions, ensuring records are durable, tamper-resistant, and not dependent on a single server.

**ZK Commitment:** See Commitment.

**ZK Proof:** A zero-knowledge proof submitted at withdrawal time that verifies the receiver's right to withdraw funds from the shared vault without revealing which deposit the withdrawal corresponds to. This is what creates on-chain unlinkability between sender and receiver.

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