Most new L1s are iterations—EVM forks with a new consensus twist. @dusk_foundation took the harder, more deliberate path: a purpose-built stack from the silicon up. Why? Because retrofitting privacy and compliance onto a chain designed for transparent P2P transfers is like trying to turn a bicycle into a jet. Dusk built a ZK-friendly virtual machine, the Succinct Attestation consensus for near-instant finality, and the Kadcast p2p protocol for efficient, censorship-resistant broadcasting. This holistic engineering approach solves core blockchain problems like state bloat and slow synchronization, allowing for "one-block sync" for new nodes. In a world of copy-paste chains, Dusk stands as a bespoke machine engineered for one purpose: to be the financial infrastructure of the future.