Updated September 2026: Midnight mainnet launched on March 17, 2026. “Fourth-generation blockchain” is Midnight’s positioning, not an industry-standard classification.
Programmable privacy
Midnight is designed so applications can prove required facts without automatically exposing all underlying information, combining public verification with selective disclosure and zero-knowledge technology.
NIGHT and DUST
NIGHT is Midnight’s native capital and governance asset. Registered NIGHT generates DUST capacity. DUST is a shielded, non-transferable, renewable network resource used for transactions—not a conventional tradable token or an automatic ADA staking reward.
Is Midnight a Cardano sidechain?
That description is too simplistic. Midnight is a separate partner-chain ecosystem with its own ledger and token model while maintaining technical and economic links with Cardano.
Current decentralization
Mainnet launched with a federated validator model. Midnight’s roadmap calls for broader permissionless block production, including a future role for Cardano stake pool operators.
