Permissionless network deployment
When the Midnight network went live in March this year, the initial deployment phase prioritized operational stability, security, and developer preparation. That first structured period allowed early application teams to test software logic and optimize performance within a controlled environment. Today marks the planned transition into the next stage of network growth: permissionless smart contract deployment.
Starting today, developers can write and deploy smart contracts directly to Midnight mainnet, without a required security review on Preprod. Applications can now also deploy contracts on behalf of end users, streamlining user onboarding. This expanded operational capacity creates direct opportunities across decentralized finance tools, gaming applications, and custom privacy products built through partner development work.
This release marks a planned step in the network roadmap. Upcoming milestones will expand core protocol capabilities and increase decentralization across the network.
Development best practices
The Midnight Preprod environment mirrors the Midnight network. Developers should test and deploy applications to the Preprod environment first to ensure application logic is optimized before moving code to production.
Applications
Google Cloud Web3 testnet faucet
Google Cloud supports Midnight with a dedicated protocol page and testnet NIGHT faucet inside its Web3 portal. Developers can access network infrastructure details and request testnet NIGHT tokens directly to their wallet addresses from the Google Cloud web3 portal.
Noctis Zone private token launchpad
Nightforce Ambassador MJ deployed Noctis Zone to the Midnight Preprod environment. The token launchpad application features DarkVeil, a tool that conceals purchase data during the first 24 hours of a token sale to block automated trading bots. The smart contract applies zero-knowledge proofs to verify that buyers adhere to purchasing limits without exposing individual wallet addresses or transaction amounts.
Check it out at noctis.zone/darkveil.
Gero Wallet
Gero Wallet released version 2.7.1 on 16 September, delivering full Midnight dApp support. The release adds shielded balances on mainnet and a connector that proves, funds, and submits transactions on behalf of users. It introduces sponsored DUST fees, expends DUST generated from cNIGHT on Cardano toward fee capacity, and supports Midnight tokens, including USDM. Where a user holds several Midnight wallets in Gero, one that is generating DUST can sponsor fees for another that has none, whether the DUST comes from native NIGHT or cNIGHT.
More details are available in the GitHub release notes.
Ecosystem Partners
OpenZeppelin joins S&P Global
Midnight ecosystem partner OpenZeppelin, who is building a dedicated smart contract library and application starter pack for Compact on Midnight, recently entered an acquisition agreement with S&P Global. As outlined in the partnership announcement blog post, OpenZeppelin brings extensive security expertise to the network, with its contracts currently securing over $37 trillion in transferred value.
Ura Labs launches Relay Club pilot on Preprod
Ura Labs launched Relay Club on the Preprod environment on 8 September. The pilot sponsors application DUST fees through an API, allowing developers to cover transaction costs so end users do not need to hold DUST. The team completed a test NFT mint through the sponsorship API and continues refining the developer integration flow. Read the forum announcement, review the technical write-up, or access Relay Club.
OODA AI added Midnight network security features directly into its execution platform alongside existing Base chain attestations. The integration strengthens auditability and traceability across AI workflows. Learn more.
Developer initiatives
Midnight Korea Hackathon 2026
The four-week online Midnight Korea Hackathon concludes this week with a $6,000 prize pool for privacy applications. Submissions close on 28 September, and judges will announce the winning projects on 29 September. Top-performing teams will receive consideration for ongoing support in the Midnight Build Club.
VIA Labs sprint concludes
The VIA Labs cross-chain sprint concluded with 37 developer participants, 12 cross-chain USDM transfers from Cardano to Midnight, and five completed payment applications. Teams submitted functional DApps demonstrating private invoicing models using USDM on Midnight.
Three projects earned USDM prize allocations:
- 1st place: Midnight Private Invoices stores invoices on-chain solely as commitments that settle with zero-knowledge proofs, keeping amounts and payer identities private. VIA Labs will also feature this repository in its official developer documentation.
- 2nd place: Privoice implements tamper-evident invoice settlement, preventing issuer modifications and restricting invoice acknowledgement to the designated payer.
- 3rd place: USDM Invoice Relay uses a Compact smart contract to collect exact payments before expiration and transfer funds directly to merchants.
These builder projects demonstrate practical approaches to handling private transactions on Midnight using real-world assets like USDM.
Releases & Documentation
Midnight Node version 1.0.3 is now available across all network environments. This security patch addresses an npm dependency advisory, removes debugging utilities to protect validator memory, and updates historical block import logic. Validator operators must upgrade node binaries prior to applying runtime updates.
Updates occur regularly. Check the releases page and the compatibility matrix to stay up-to-date.
Midnight on Medium
There’s now more from Midnight on Medium. Along with some of the highlights from this blog, the Medium page will share more detailed technical explainers, discussions about Midnight technology and selected articles from contributors across the ecosystem.
Join the community
Connect with developers, ecosystem partners, and the core engineering team on the official Midnight Discord.