diff --git a/api/typeDefs/user.js b/api/typeDefs/user.js
index 29d8a427..f8f813aa 100644
--- a/api/typeDefs/user.js
+++ b/api/typeDefs/user.js
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ export default gql`
       noteInvites: Boolean!, noteJobIndicator: Boolean!, noteCowboyHat: Boolean!, hideInvoiceDesc: Boolean!,
       hideFromTopUsers: Boolean!, hideCowboyHat: Boolean!, clickToLoadImg: Boolean!,
       wildWestMode: Boolean!, greeterMode: Boolean!, nostrPubkey: String, nostrRelays: [String!], hideBookmarks: Boolean!,
-      noteForwardedSats: Boolean!): User
+      noteForwardedSats: Boolean!, hideWalletBalance: Boolean!): User
     setPhoto(photoId: ID!): Int!
     upsertBio(bio: String!): User!
     setWalkthrough(tipPopover: Boolean, upvotePopover: Boolean): Boolean
@@ -85,6 +85,7 @@ export default gql`
     hideCowboyHat: Boolean!
     hideBookmarks: Boolean!
     hideWelcomeBanner: Boolean!
+    hideWalletBalance: Boolean!
     clickToLoadImg: Boolean!
     wildWestMode: Boolean!
     greeterMode: Boolean!
diff --git a/components/header.js b/components/header.js
index 3f1f4de0..fd7ed2b8 100644
--- a/components/header.js
+++ b/components/header.js
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ import Price from './price'
 import { useMe } from './me'
 import Head from 'next/head'
 import { signOut } from 'next-auth/react'
-import { useCallback, useEffect } from 'react'
+import { useCallback, useEffect, useState } from 'react'
 import { randInRange } from '../lib/rand'
 import { abbrNum } from '../lib/format'
 import NoteIcon from '../svgs/notification-4-fill.svg'
@@ -24,9 +24,21 @@ import { useLightning } from './lightning'
 import { HAS_NOTIFICATIONS } from '../fragments/notifications'
 import AnonIcon from '../svgs/spy-fill.svg'
 import Hat from './hat'
+import HiddenWalletSummary from './hidden-wallet-summary'
 
-function WalletSummary ({ me }) {
-  if (!me) return null
+function WalletSummary ({ me, hideBalance }) {
+  const [show, setShow] = useState(false)
+
+  useEffect(() => {
+    // fix warning about useLayoutEffect usage during SSR
+    // see https://reactjs.org/link/uselayouteffect-ssr
+    setShow(true)
+  }, [])
+
+  if (!me || !show) return null
+  if (me.hideWalletBalance) {
+    return <HiddenWalletSummary abbreviate fixedWidth />
+  }
   return `${abbrNum(me.sats)}`
 }
 
@@ -132,7 +144,9 @@ function StackerCorner ({ dropNavKey }) {
       <NavProfileMenu me={me} dropNavKey={dropNavKey} />
       <Nav.Item>
         <Link href='/wallet' passHref legacyBehavior>
-          <Nav.Link eventKey='wallet' className='text-success px-0 text-nowrap'><WalletSummary me={me} /></Nav.Link>
+          <Nav.Link eventKey='wallet' className='text-success px-0 text-nowrap'>
+            <WalletSummary me={me} />
+          </Nav.Link>
         </Link>
       </Nav.Item>
     </div>
diff --git a/components/hidden-wallet-summary.js b/components/hidden-wallet-summary.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..d769aee5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/components/hidden-wallet-summary.js
@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
+import { useState, useRef, useLayoutEffect } from 'react'
+import { abbrNum, numWithUnits } from '../lib/format'
+import { useMe } from './me'
+
+export default function HiddenWalletSummary ({ abbreviate, fixedWidth }) {
+  const me = useMe()
+  const [hover, setHover] = useState(false)
+
+  // prevent layout shifts when hovering by fixing width to initial rendered width
+  const ref = useRef()
+  const [width, setWidth] = useState(undefined)
+  useLayoutEffect(() => {
+    setWidth(ref.current?.offsetWidth)
+  }, [])
+
+  return (
+    <span ref={ref} style={{ width: fixedWidth ? width : undefined }} className='d-inline-block' align='right' onMouseEnter={() => setHover(true)} onMouseLeave={() => setHover(false)}>
+      {hover ? (abbreviate ? abbrNum(me.sats) : numWithUnits(me.sats, { abbreviate: false })) : '*****'}
+    </span>
+  )
+}
diff --git a/fragments/users.js b/fragments/users.js
index bbd42868..2df5eaa6 100644
--- a/fragments/users.js
+++ b/fragments/users.js
@@ -35,6 +35,7 @@ export const ME = gql`
       greeterMode
       lastCheckedJobs
       hideWelcomeBanner
+      hideWalletBalance
     }
   }`
 
@@ -57,6 +58,7 @@ export const SETTINGS_FIELDS = gql`
     hideCowboyHat
     hideBookmarks
     clickToLoadImg
+    hideWalletBalance
     nostrPubkey
     nostrRelays
     wildWestMode
@@ -86,14 +88,14 @@ mutation setSettings($tipDefault: Int!, $turboTipping: Boolean!, $fiatCurrency:
   $noteInvites: Boolean!, $noteJobIndicator: Boolean!, $noteCowboyHat: Boolean!, $hideInvoiceDesc: Boolean!,
   $hideFromTopUsers: Boolean!, $hideCowboyHat: Boolean!, $clickToLoadImg: Boolean!,
   $wildWestMode: Boolean!, $greeterMode: Boolean!, $nostrPubkey: String, $nostrRelays: [String!], $hideBookmarks: Boolean!,
-  $noteForwardedSats: Boolean!) {
+  $noteForwardedSats: Boolean!, $hideWalletBalance: Boolean!) {
   setSettings(tipDefault: $tipDefault, turboTipping: $turboTipping,  fiatCurrency: $fiatCurrency,
     noteItemSats: $noteItemSats, noteEarning: $noteEarning, noteAllDescendants: $noteAllDescendants,
     noteMentions: $noteMentions, noteDeposits: $noteDeposits, noteInvites: $noteInvites,
     noteJobIndicator: $noteJobIndicator, noteCowboyHat: $noteCowboyHat, hideInvoiceDesc: $hideInvoiceDesc,
     hideFromTopUsers: $hideFromTopUsers, hideCowboyHat: $hideCowboyHat, clickToLoadImg: $clickToLoadImg,
     wildWestMode: $wildWestMode, greeterMode: $greeterMode, nostrPubkey: $nostrPubkey, nostrRelays: $nostrRelays, hideBookmarks: $hideBookmarks,
-    noteForwardedSats: $noteForwardedSats) {
+    noteForwardedSats: $noteForwardedSats, hideWalletBalance: $hideWalletBalance) {
       ...SettingsFields
     }
   }
diff --git a/lib/validate.js b/lib/validate.js
index 82b78ea7..0062f2f2 100644
--- a/lib/validate.js
+++ b/lib/validate.js
@@ -223,7 +223,8 @@ export const settingsSchema = object({
     string().matches(WS_REGEXP, 'invalid web socket address')
   ).max(NOSTR_MAX_RELAY_NUM,
     ({ max, value }) => `${Math.abs(max - value.length)} too many`),
-  hideBookmarks: boolean()
+  hideBookmarks: boolean(),
+  hideWalletBalance: boolean()
 })
 
 const warningMessage = 'If I logout, even accidentally, I will never be able to access my account again'
diff --git a/pages/settings.js b/pages/settings.js
index c000c915..eb8d8de2 100644
--- a/pages/settings.js
+++ b/pages/settings.js
@@ -76,7 +76,8 @@ export default function Settings ({ ssrData }) {
             greeterMode: settings?.greeterMode,
             nostrPubkey: settings?.nostrPubkey ? bech32encode(settings.nostrPubkey) : '',
             nostrRelays: settings?.nostrRelays?.length ? settings?.nostrRelays : [''],
-            hideBookmarks: settings?.hideBookmarks
+            hideBookmarks: settings?.hideBookmarks,
+            hideWalletBalance: settings?.hideWalletBalance
           }}
           schema={settingsSchema}
           onSubmit={async ({ tipDefault, nostrPubkey, nostrRelays, ...values }) => {
@@ -230,6 +231,11 @@ export default function Settings ({ ssrData }) {
             name='hideCowboyHat'
             groupClassName='mb-0'
           />
+          <Checkbox
+            label={<>hide my wallet balance</>}
+            name='hideWalletBalance'
+            groupClassName='mb-0'
+          />
           <Checkbox
             label={<>click to load external images</>}
             name='clickToLoadImg'
diff --git a/pages/wallet.js b/pages/wallet.js
index 993e7faa..a5ed2723 100644
--- a/pages/wallet.js
+++ b/pages/wallet.js
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ import Nav from 'react-bootstrap/Nav'
 import { SSR } from '../lib/constants'
 import { numWithUnits } from '../lib/format'
 import styles from '../components/user-header.module.css'
+import HiddenWalletSummary from '../components/hidden-wallet-summary'
 
 export const getServerSideProps = getGetServerSideProps({ authRequired: true })
 
@@ -51,7 +52,13 @@ function YouHaveSats () {
   const me = useMe()
   return (
     <h2 className={`${me ? 'visible' : 'invisible'} text-success`}>
-      you have <span className='text-monospace'>{me && numWithUnits(me.sats, { abbreviate: false })}</span>
+      you have{' '}
+      <span className='text-monospace'>{me && (
+        me.hideWalletBalance
+          ? <HiddenWalletSummary />
+          : numWithUnits(me.sats, { abbreviate: false })
+      )}
+      </span>
     </h2>
   )
 }
diff --git a/prisma/migrations/20230912122629_hide_wallet_balance/migration.sql b/prisma/migrations/20230912122629_hide_wallet_balance/migration.sql
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..5ba5db5d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/prisma/migrations/20230912122629_hide_wallet_balance/migration.sql
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+-- AlterTable
+ALTER TABLE "users" ADD COLUMN     "hideWalletBalance" BOOLEAN NOT NULL DEFAULT false;
diff --git a/prisma/schema.prisma b/prisma/schema.prisma
index 214b87e8..d03f5b9a 100644
--- a/prisma/schema.prisma
+++ b/prisma/schema.prisma
@@ -51,6 +51,7 @@ model User {
   hideFromTopUsers    Boolean              @default(false)
   turboTipping        Boolean              @default(false)
   clickToLoadImg      Boolean              @default(false)
+  hideWalletBalance   Boolean              @default(false)
   referrerId          Int?
   nostrPubkey         String?
   nostrAuthPubkey     String?              @unique(map: "users.nostrAuthPubkey_unique")