Get started on Aztec

New to Aztec and want to use the network, not build on it? This page is the ordered path: get a wallet, fund your account, make your first private transaction, explore apps, and stay safe along the way.

Alpha network

Aztec is in its Alpha phase, a live mainnet where bugs, including critical ones, are expected. Use small amounts, and read the Alpha Network page before you start.

1. Understand what you are using

Aztec is a privacy-first Layer 2 network on Ethereum. In practice that means:

• Your transactions are proven correct on your own device, so your private data never leaves it. The network only sees a proof.
• Apps and users choose what stays private (like balances, identities, and amounts) and what is public.
• Aztec settles to Ethereum, so it inherits Ethereum's security while transactions stay cheap and private.

For a 90-second explainer, watch the video on the Participate overview. For more depth, the Basics of Aztec pages explain how it all works.

2. Get a wallet

You need an Aztec wallet. Aztec wallets are different from Ethereum wallets: they manage your private state and generate proofs on your device, so an Ethereum-only wallet is not enough on its own.

• Azguard is a browser extension wallet, and currently the wallet to use for interacting with Aztec apps from your browser. It connects to Aztec apps the same way MetaMask connects to Ethereum apps: a website requests a connection, and you approve it in the extension.
• More wallets are appearing as the ecosystem grows. Find the current list in the Wallets category of the Aztec ecosystem page.

These are early-stage products on an early-stage network, so expect rough edges.

Install from official sources only

Fake wallet extensions are a common scam. Open wallet download pages from the ecosystem page or the wallet team's official channels, never from search ads or links sent to you in chat. See Staying safe.

The Wallets page explains what makes Aztec wallets different and how to choose one.

3. Fund your account

Aztec is a Layer 2, so assets come in from Ethereum through bridges:

• Bridge apps walk you through depositing from Ethereum. Shield bridges assets into Aztec, including converting $AZTEC into Fee Juice, the network's fee asset. Find the current list of bridges on the ecosystem page.
• Some wallets and apps include funding flows directly, so check your wallet first.

Transaction fees are paid in Fee Juice, which you get by bridging $AZTEC from Ethereum (bridge apps handle this for you). Many apps also sponsor fees for their users through fee-paying contracts, so you can often start transacting without any Fee Juice of your own. See Fees for how to get Fee Juice and Bridging for what happens under the hood.

4. Make your first transaction

Once your wallet holds funds, try a private transfer:

1. Receive: share your Aztec address (or your wallet's payment link or QR code) with the sender. Incoming private transfers are visible only to you.
2. Send: enter the recipient's address and amount in your wallet and confirm. Your wallet generates a proof on your device before submitting, so the first transaction can take a little longer than you may be used to.
3. Check the result: your wallet shows the transaction status. You can also look it up on a block explorer like Aztecscan, keeping in mind that private details (sender, recipient, amount) are not visible there, which is the point.

The Transactions page explains what happens behind the scenes.

5. Explore apps

Payments, trading, collectibles, and more are live on Aztec, with new apps launching regularly. See Explore apps for what you can try today and where to find the up-to-date list.

Stay safe

Three rules cover most risks:

1. Never share your seed phrase or private keys with anyone, ever.
2. Only open wallets, bridges, and apps from links on the official ecosystem page or other official Aztec channels.
3. Treat Alpha as early software: start with small amounts.

Read Staying safe for the full list of official links and common scams to avoid.

Get help

• The Aztec Discord is the fastest place to ask questions.
• The Aztec forum is best for longer discussions.
• For wallet or app issues, check that project's own support channels, linked from the ecosystem page.
• Found a security vulnerability? Report it privately following the security disclosure process, not in public channels.

Key terms in plain language

Term	Meaning
Layer 2 (L2) / rollup	A network that runs on top of Ethereum (Layer 1), batching many transactions and posting proofs to Ethereum for security
Mainnet vs testnet	Mainnet uses real assets; testnet is a free practice network. Aztec's live mainnet phase is called Alpha
Note	A piece of private state, like a private "coin" only you can see and spend
PXE	Private eXecution Environment: the part of your wallet that runs private transactions and generates proofs on your device
Mana	Aztec's unit of computational work, like Ethereum's gas
$AZTEC / Fee Juice	$AZTEC is the network's token on Ethereum, used for fees, staking, and governance. Fee Juice is the non-transferable fee asset created on Aztec by bridging$AZTEC
Sequencer	A network operator that orders transactions into blocks
Prover	A network operator that generates the proofs posted to Ethereum
Bridge / portal	The mechanism that moves assets between Ethereum and Aztec
Epoch	A batch of blocks proven together before settling on Ethereum

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Want to go deeper?

Learn how the network operates in Basics of Aztec, or read about the $AZTEC token and governance.