Cardano founder Charles Hoskinson has announced the launch of Midnight, a new privacy-focused blockchain that utilizes zero-knowledge proof (ZK) technology. Midnight's genesis block was generated on Monday, marking the start of a blockchain that allows users to selectively disclose or hide data while maintaining compliance. The platform features a hybrid ledger capable of mixing public and private data within a single transaction and supports shielded assets to conceal balances and counterparty information. Midnight operates on a dual-token model, with the governance token NIGHT serving as the ecosystem's store of value. Holders of NIGHT receive renewable Gas tokens, DUST, which are generated proportionally to their holdings and can be used to pay transaction fees. The network initiated a one-year NIGHT airdrop last December, targeting 37 million eligible wallets. Early node operators include major companies such as Worldpay, Bullish, MoneyGram, and Google Cloud. Additionally, Midnight offers two-way asset interoperability with Cardano, allowing Cardano staking pool operators to run Midnight validator nodes.