Midnight Hub
Everything you need about Midnight Network — the privacy layer built by IOG for the Cardano ecosystem. NIGHT & DUST explained, wallet setup, roadmap, news, and developer resources.
NIGHT & DUST — the two tokens explained
Most confusion about Midnight comes from not knowing the difference between these two. Here it is, plainly.
NIGHT
Governance & utility token · 24B fixed supply
- ✓Tradeable on
Binance,
Minswap,
DexHunter
- ✓Automatically generates DUST proportional to your balance
- ✓Future governance rights over network parameters
- ✓Exists on both Cardano L1 and the Midnight chain
- !Transparent token — balances are publicly visible on-chain
DUST
Non-transferable fee resource · shielded
- ✓Used to pay for transactions & smart contract execution
- ✓Generated automatically by holding NIGHT — no action needed
- ✓Operates like a battery: drains when used, recharges in ~7 days
- ✓Exists within the shielded layer — balances are private
- ✗Cannot be bought, sold, or transferred between wallets
How to get started
From zero to using Midnight — in five steps.
Install Lace wallet (Chrome only)
Lace is the official Midnight wallet, built by IOG. Install it as a Chrome browser extension from lace.io. Firefox, Edge, and mobile are not yet supported for Midnight features.
Get Lace →Enable Midnight in Lace
Open Lace, create a new wallet, and write down your 24-word seed phrase on paper — this controls both your Cardano and Midnight wallets. Then go to Settings → enable Beta features to unlock the Midnight network tab.
Acquire NIGHT
Buy NIGHT on Binance (NIGHT/USDT) or swap directly on Cardano via DexHunter. When withdrawing from an exchange, confirm whether you are withdrawing as a Cardano Native Asset or a Midnight-native token — use the correct address.
Swap NIGHT →DUST generates automatically
Once NIGHT is in your wallet, DUST begins generating proportionally to your balance. No action needed. A fully depleted DUST balance recharges to full in approximately 7 days.
Explore Midnight
Kukolu is a developer-first launch. The DApp ecosystem is early-stage. Check the official Midnight site for the latest applications and developer resources.
midnight.network →How the privacy works
No hand-waving. Here is what is actually happening under the hood.
zk-SNARKs
Midnight uses Zero-Knowledge Succinct Non-Interactive Arguments of Knowledge — the same cryptographic family as Zcash. Prove a fact is true without revealing the underlying data.
Hybrid Ledger
Every Midnight smart contract can have public state (visible to all) and private/shielded state (visible only to authorized parties). Developers choose what to expose.
Client-Side Proofs
ZK proofs are generated inside the Lace wallet on your device. Your private data never leaves your machine — not even to the Midnight nodes.
Rational Privacy
Midnight is not designed for full anonymity. Users prove specific facts — age, KYC status, collateral — without revealing everything. Designed to be regulation-compatible.
Compact Language
Smart contracts are written in Compact, a TypeScript-like language that compiles to ZK circuits automatically. No cryptography expertise required.
Partner Chain
Midnight is a partner chain of Cardano, built by IOG. It has its own blockchain and consensus. SPO integration arrives in the Mohalu phase (Q2 2026).
Roadmap
Three phases — one production network.
Kukolu
- ✓Genesis block produced March 31, 2026
- ✓Federated validator set (Blockdaemon, Worldpay, Bullish, Shielded…)
- ✓Compact smart contracts deployable on mainnet
- ✓Lace wallet with Midnight support (Chrome)
- ✓NIGHT trading on Binance and Cardano DEXes
- ✓DUST auto-generates from NIGHT holdings
Mohalu
- →Cardano SPOs can run Midnight nodes & earn NIGHT
- →DUST Capacity Exchange live
- →Expanded Cardano ↔ Midnight interoperability
- →Network throughput increases
Hua
- →Hybrid DApps spanning Cardano L1 + Midnight
- →Full open decentralization of validator set
- →Mature consumer-facing DApp ecosystem
Mohalu timing is a stated target, not a guarantee. Hua has no confirmed date.
Ecosystem status
An honest picture of where things stand.
Live now
- ✓ NIGHT trading on Binance & Cardano DEXes
- ✓ Lace wallet with Midnight (Chrome)
- ✓ Smart contract deployment on Kukolu mainnet
- ✓ DUST auto-generation from NIGHT holdings
- ✓ Developer SDK & Compact language toolchain
→ Coming in Mohalu (Q2 2026)
- → Open SPO validator participation
- → NIGHT staking rewards for SPOs
- → DUST Capacity Exchange
- → Expanded Cardano ↔ Midnight bridging
🏦 Notable partnerships
Monument Bank (UK, FCA-regulated) has announced plans to tokenize up to £250M in retail deposits on Midnight. This is a partnership announcement — not yet a live product. It illustrates the institutional use case Midnight is targeting.
⚠️ What to know
- Kukolu uses a federated validator set — not yet fully decentralized
- The Glacier Drop (free NIGHT airdrop) is over
- Consumer DApps are early-stage — ecosystem matures through 2026–27
- Lace Midnight is Chrome only — no mobile support yet
Learn Midnight
From beginner to advanced — structured guides.
Latest Midnight news
From the DanoNight newsroom.
The dApps Coming to the Midnight Ecosystem: Rational Privacy Is Landing Now
Midnight, IOG's fourth-generation privacy blockchain, already has a rich dApp ecosystem live on mainnet. From AI-powered smart contract builders and fully private prediction markets, to shielded mobile wallets, competitive casinos, and real-world asset tokenization .
Midnight: Cardano's Privacy Powerhouse – Unlocking Real-World Blockchain Adoption
Midnight, the privacy-first partner chain built by IOG, launched on mainnet in March 2026. It brings programmable 'rational' privacy via ZK proofs — not full anonymity, but selective disclosure for compliant enterprise use.
Midnight Network Mainnet Goes Live With 9 Partners Including Google Cloud
Midnight Network, the privacy-focused partner chain built alongside Cardano, officially launched its mainnet on March 31, 2026. Nine institutional federated node operators are securing the network — including Google Cloud, Blockdaemon, Worldpay, MoneyGram, and Vodafone — with Monument Bank announcing plans to tokenize up to £250 million in retail deposits on the chain.
Monument Bank Partners with Midnight to Tokenize £250M in UK Retail Deposits
UK FCA-regulated Monument Bank has announced a partnership with Midnight Network to tokenize up to £250M in retail customer deposits using Midnight's ZK selective disclosure model. The partnership satisfies AML and KYC regulatory requirements cryptographically, without requiring public data exposure.
Official resources
Everything you need, directly from the source.