Privacy coins often appear after hacks, but they are only one link in a longer laundering chain that includes swaps, bridges and off-ramps.
Privacy coins are just a step in a broader laundering pipeline after hacks. They serve as a temporary black box to disrupt traceability.
Hackers typically move funds through consolidation, obfuscation and chain hopping and only then introduce privacy layers before attempting to cash out.
Privacy coins are most useful immediately after a hack because they reduce onchain visibility, delay blacklisting and help break attribution links.
