Dusk is a Layer-1 blockchain platform specifically designed for regulated financial applications, blending privacy-preserving technology with full regulatory compliance. Launched after six years of development, its mainnet went live on January 7, 2025, marking a significant milestone in bridging traditional finance (TradFi) and decentralized finance (DeFi). Founded in 2018 and based in Amsterdam, Dusk aims to enable institutions, businesses, and individuals to tokenize and trade real-world assets (RWAs) securely while adhering to EU standards like MiCA, MiFID II, and the DLT Pilot Regime.
At its core, Dusk leverages zero-knowledge proofs (ZKPs) and confidential smart contracts to ensure transaction privacy without compromising auditability. This allows sensitive financial data to remain hidden from public view while still being verifiable for regulators. Unlike many blockchains that prioritize either privacy or compliance, Dusk achieves both, making it ideal for issuing security tokens, private trading, and on-chain settlement of assets like stocks, bonds, and real estate.
Key features include Hyperstaking, a programmable staking mechanism that allows smart contracts to handle stakes with custom logic. This enables innovative use cases such as privacy-preserving staking, referral rewards, delegation, liquid staking derivatives, and yield boosting—far beyond traditional staking models. Another standout is Zedger, a protocol for compliant RWA tokenization, issuance, and management, ensuring assets meet regulatory requirements while maintaining confidentiality.
Dusk's modular architecture separates concerns efficiently: DuskDS handles consensus and data availability via Proof-of-Stake, while DuskEVM provides an Ethereum-compatible execution environment for developers. DuskEVM, launched in late 2025, integrates EVM tooling with built-in privacy via tools like Hedger, which encrypts transactions using ZKPs and fully homomorphic encryption (FHE). This makes it accessible for Ethereum developers while settling directly on Dusk for enhanced security and scalability.
Strategic partnerships have accelerated Dusk's adoption. A major collaboration with NPEX, a fully regulated Dutch multilateral trading facility (MTF) exchange that has facilitated over €200 million in financing, enables tokenized securities trading under EU licenses. In November 2025, Dusk and NPEX integrated Chainlink's Cross-Chain Interoperability Protocol (CCIP) and data standards, allowing seamless cross-chain movement of tokenized assets and DUSK tokens (e.g., between Ethereum and Solana). Chainlink Data Streams provide low-latency, regulatory-grade market data on-chain, positioning Dusk as a hub for institutional RWAs.
Additional integrations include Quantoz for MiCA-compliant stablecoins like EURQ and partnerships for decentralized custody solutions like Dusk Vault. Upcoming developments in 2026 include phased rollouts of the STOX platform for tokenized securities trading, Lightspeed Layer-2 for faster DeFi, and trust-minimized clearance and settlement combining blockchain with traditional systems.
As of early 2026, Dusk is gaining traction amid surging institutional interest in RWAs. With a circulating supply of nearly 487 million DUSK tokens used for staking, fees, and governance, the platform empowers users to stake directly for rewards while securing the network. Dusk's vision—lowering barriers to financial inclusion through fair, efficient, and private infrastructure—positions it as a leader in compliant blockchain finance, potentially redefining how global markets operate on-chain.#dusk
