The Midnight project (token $NIGHT) is a fourth-generation blockchain focused on "rational privacy", developed by Input Output Global (IOG – the team behind Cardano). Launching the mainnet in December 2025, Midnight is not a completely anonymous coin like Monero or Zcash, but allows users to decide which data to keep private and which data to make publicly verifiable – a perfect balance between privacy and compliance. midnight.networkCore ZK-proof technologyMidnight uses recursive zk-SNARKs (Zero-Knowledge Succinct Non-Interactive Arguments of Knowledge) combined with the Kachina protocol. This technology allows for proof generation without exposing the original data: you can prove “I have enough money”, “I have paid wages correctly”, “I am not committing fraud” without revealing specific balances, exact wages, or transaction history. midnight.networkZK-proof completely separates the financial layer (public, auditable) and the data layer (private). As a result, all transactions remain verifiable on-chain without exposing sensitive information.Partnership architecture with CardanoMidnight operates as a partner chain (sidechain) of Cardano:
Cardano handles settlement and governance transparently.
Midnight handles confidential logic (ZK smart contracts).
This helps Cardano maintain its public nature, while Midnight expands the ability to secure enterprise, financial, healthcare data... without changing Cardano's settlement layer. Compact Programming Language To make it easier for developers, Midnight develops the Compact language based on TypeScript. There's no need to learn deeply about cryptography; just writing code like a regular web developer can create complex ZK DApps. Token NIGHT & DUST – Dual token model
NIGHT: Public native token (unshielded), used for governance, staking, generating DUST, and rewarding validators. Total supply is 24 billion, currently circulating ~16.6 billion when listed on Binance. binance.com
DUST: Shielded resource, non-transferable, used to pay transaction fees and run smart contracts. Holding NIGHT automatically generates DUST (like a 'recharge pin'), helping to predict costs without depending on NIGHT's price.
NIGHT was listed on Binance on 11/3/2026 along with many other major exchanges. Distribution & Glacier Drop Tokens are distributed through the Glacier Drop program (the largest airdrop in crypto history):
Phase 1: Claim for ADA, BTC, ETH holders...
Phase 2: Scavenger Mine (anyone can mine using CPU).
A total of over 4.5 billion NIGHT has been claimed.
Thawing 450 days (4 phases of 25% every 90 days) to prevent dumping.
Real use case
On-chain payroll (private payroll but still auditable).
Anonymous fraud reporting (Vera Report).
DeFi with KYC ZK-proof.
Secret voting, sealed bidding, protecting IP in NFTs...
Businesses use it to comply with GDPR, SOX while remaining on-chain.
Midnight is not a 'privacy coin' but the first truly programmable privacy platform for the real world. With ZK-proof recursive + Compact + partner chain Cardano, the project is ushering in a new era: a blockchain that is both private and transparent, while also being compliant. This is why $NIGHT has been strongly welcomed by major exchanges right after listing.