The Leo Wallet, which operates on the Aleo network, has longer transaction times compared to conventional crypto wallets due to Aleo's unique privacy-preserving features. Unlike typical crypto wallets that directly submit transaction information to the blockchain via an API call, the Leo Wallet must first generate a cryptographically secure proof on the user's computer. This proof is essential because the Aleo blockchain stores these privacy-preserving proofs instead of transparent transaction details.
Generating a transaction on the Aleo blockchain requires creating an encrypted proof within the wallet before the transaction can be sent, ensuring the privacy of the transactions and setting Aleo apart from other blockchains that do not prioritize privacy as much. The proof generation process is computationally intensive, and its duration depends on the processing power of the user's computer and network conditions. Generally, it takes a few minutes to generate a proof, but the first transaction may take longer since it involves initializing the capability for private transactions on the network.
Once the proof is successfully generated, it is submitted to the Aleo blockchain. This additional step of proof generation contributes to the overall longer transaction times experienced in the Leo Wallet compared to other conventional crypto wallets. To speed up transactions, users can choose to delegate their transaction to a server for near-instant processing.