Bitcoin was the first generation of blockchains, offering a decentralized store of value unlike anything the world had ever seen. Soon, Ethereum appeared alongside it, offering a store of value and applications (DApps) that implemented smart contracts, introducing the concept of programmable money. Cardano has evolved past them, offering a store of value, DApps, efficient proof-of-stake consensus, liquid staking, and partner chain support. The latest arrival on the blockchain scene is Midnight.
From a technological viewpoint, Midnight is one of the most sophisticated products in the Cardano ecosystem. It's the product of love and thorough, research-led development. It’s a blockchain that inherits and builds on the foundations of its predecessors.
Midnight contributes new capabilities to the field of blockchain, in terms of data protection and shielding of metadata. This enables two major innovations:
- Programmable privacy. Smart contracts can include zero-knowledge (ZK) utility so that DApp developers can shield the data that organizations and individuals need to protect.
- Balanced with transparency. Midnight’s technology can help developers balance the global transparency of public ledgers with the protection of sensitive data through the use of ZK proofs and shielded tokens. This technology enables selective disclosure, giving developers the best of both worlds.
Midnight will also benefit from the security and reliability of the Cardano blockchain, as Cardano stake pool operators can choose to become Midnight block producers as well. Midnight is designed to be a partner chain of Cardano, and its community will continue to be central to Midnight’s progress.
Developing with Midnight
Midnight is designed to make it easy for developers to comply with ever-evolving regulations. DApps can be transparent when required for compliance purposes, and shield sensitive data everywhere else. Midnight’s technology can enable DApps to comply with laws and regulations like the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA), California Consumer Privacy Act/California Privacy Rights Act (CCPA/CPRA), and Sarbanes-Oxley Act (SOX).
Midnight puts a high value on developer experience and accessibility. The aim is to make building apps a joy and developers’ lives easier with features like:
- Compact, a Typescript-based language for writing smart contracts
- TypeScript as the language for the business logic of DApps
- a plugin that brings the power and familiarity of VS Code to the developer experience
- libraries of commonly used smart contracts and ZK circuits
- building a collaborative community from day one. Join our Discord!
But Midnight is more than just technology. It's about bringing together a community of thought leaders, developers, content creators, and organizations that want to raise awareness and drive change towards better custodianship of data globally. Accordingly, the team will curate ideas, content, and events that anyone can benefit from to help educate, inspire, and accelerate change across industries or jurisdictions.
Get involved
Midnight offers the chance to be part of a movement that prioritizes data protection and community collaboration. Begin your Midnight experience in the documentation pages, where the team has crafted step-by-step tutorials and sample DApps to ensure your journey is hands-on and fulfilling.
Join our thriving Discord community for collaboration and support from day one.