OpenZeppelin, a world leader in blockchain security and development, will introduce a dedicated smart contract library, smart contract standards and a starter pack of applications to the Midnight network. This collaboration aims to provide developers with essential tools for building blockchain applications on Midnight while expanding opportunities for Web3 developers on Ethereum and other blockchains who already rely on OpenZeppelin’s industry-standard contracts.
A proven leader in smart contract security
OpenZeppelin’s smart contract libraries are foundational to blockchain application development on Ethereum and other blockchains, and have secured over $21 trillion in total value transferred through their smart contracts. These widely used frameworks provide developers with battle-tested, secure smart contracts that simplify application development while ensuring reliability and compliance.
Now, OpenZeppelin is bringing that expertise to the Midnight network.
Midnight smart contracts library
Through this collaboration, OpenZeppelin will develop a dedicated smart contract library for Compact, the TypeScript-based language used for data protection applications on Midnight. This library will include Compact equivalents of key ERC token standards such as ERC20, ERC721, ERC1155, and ERC3643, which will make it easier for developers to build a range of blockchain applications.
“We are excited to partner up with Midnight to drive a new era of privacy-focused blockchain applications. At OpenZeppelin, we believe that privacy and data security are fundamental pillars of any advanced decentralized ecosystem," said Jonathan Alexander, CTO at OpenZeppelin. “With our experience in blockchain development and security, we will build the Midnight contracts library, developer tooling, and Midnight starter decentralized applications to streamline the development experience on the Midnight network, ultimately fostering greater adoption of privacy-preserving blockchain applications.”
Developers building on Midnight will have access to these frameworks to turbocharge smart contract deployment. Bringing OpenZeppelin’s widely adopted standards to Compact, this collaboration empowers developers to apply their existing skills while using Midnight’s built-in data protection and selective disclosure features.
Accelerating development with starter applications
OpenZeppelin will provide a library of starter applications that showcase best practices for building DeFi, Identity, NFT, and RWA tokenization solutions on Midnight. These pre-built examples will give developers a strong starting point, allowing them to quickly understand how to integrate Midnight’s data protection and selective disclosure features into their applications. By working with proven frameworks, developers can streamline development, reduce security risks, and focus on innovation rather than starting from scratch.
Alongside a framework of Midnight smart contract standards, these starter applications will help developers build with confidence, knowing they are leveraging OpenZeppelin’s industry-standard security practices. With tools designed to simplify smart contract development while ensuring compliance, developers will be able to create applications that extend across multiple blockchains and ecosystems. This collaboration lowers the barriers to entry, making it easier for both new and experienced developers to build on Midnight.
When these starter apps are ready, they will be made available via the Midnight Docs and Discord server for the Midnight developer community.
Potential to use Midnight’s data protection technology across chains
Beyond Midnight’s ecosystem, blockchain developers who are already using OpenZeppelin’s frameworks can access privacy-preserving smart contracts, addressing a critical limitation: today’s smart contracts expose sensitive commercial and transactional data by default. With the opportunity to utilize Midnight’s zero-knowledge, data-protection technology, developers can enhance security, compliance, and scalability, unlocking new opportunities for Web3 adoption.
“Privacy is the cornerstone of innovation, which is why Midnight's data and metadata protection capabilities will be key to unlocking DeFi, RWA, Medical, Gaming, and other business DApps. With OpenZeppelin’s instrumental support, we’re helping ecosystem developers create new DApps and elevate existing ones to offer data protection while ensuring compliance in today's rapidly shifting landscape. This partnership transforms the security and optimization of applications across various blockchain ecosystems, paving the way for a seamless, private, multichain future”, said Midnight CEO, Eran Barak.”
Midnight’s technology is designed to complement existing blockchain applications, so this collaboration with OpenZeppelin seeks to strengthen security and compliance across many chains and ecosystems. It can enable DApps to scale without exposing sensitive data, making blockchain applications more viable for enterprise, finance, and regulated industries without disrupting existing development workflows.
What’s Next?
The collaboration between these industry disruptors will be further discussed by Eran Barak and OpenZeppelin CTO, Jonathan Alexander, at a fireside event during ETHDenver on Friday, February 28th.
Sign up to Midnight’s newsletter to stay up to date with Midnight’s ecosystem partnerships in anticipation of mainnet launch.