Midnight

112 readers
1 users here now

Welcome to the Midnight Community!

Midnight is a data protection-based blockchain that safeguards sensitive commercial and personal data, protecting fundamental freedoms of association, commerce, and expression for developers, companies, and individuals.

November 18, 2022: Input Output Global, Inc. (IOG), a leading blockchain research and developer, has revealed that it is creating a data protection-based platform to allow users to operate more freely and securely by safeguarding sensitive personal and commercial data.

Web2 created world-wide communities where people could share and connect with one another. However, this came at the cost of centralized control, leading to censorship, surveillance and a loss of ownership over data. Web3 promised a new paradigm without censorship or control over user’s data, but so far solutions either reveal too much data or are too secret for many use cases.

To address this, IOG has announced that it is working to create a new platform which will be a principled system to protect people’s fundamental freedoms of association, commerce, and expression. The solution, called Midnight, introduces a new paradigm for online interaction, allowing users to control the data they choose to reveal and keep the rest off the internet.

Midnight will be a completely new departure on how confidential information is considered when building DApps. Existing programming models have incorporated data protection as an afterthought; leaving vulnerable cracks in the architecture, whereas Midnight will be built using a novel data protection-first programming model.

The platform will use zero-knowledge cryptography and a combination of private and public computation, creating a trustless ecosystem that safeguards sensitive personal and commercial data. It will operate as a sidechain of the Cardano blockchain, inheriting its security and decentralized qualities while significantly extending Cardano’s utility, opening up valuable new use cases for individuals and companies looking to transact, publish or share data. This will allow for a rich web of data-protected connectivity with rules-based, trustless interactions anchored in the Cardano ecosystem.

Midnight will be created specifically for developers to write smart contracts in a variety of popular languages - starting with Typescript - allowing them to develop smart contracts more easily than ever before.

Through the platform companies will be able to share mission critical information, like financial data, directly with each other while proving they have met regulatory requirements without revealing any other confidential information. Users will also be able to safeguard their personal information when operating in a connected world. In a time when concerns are widespread around the misuse of private data and ‘surveillance capitalism’ from ‘big tech’, protecting personal data has become a growing issue for many.

Midnight was unveiled during the developer’s ScotFest event, held at the University of Edinburgh, by CEO Charles Hoskinson during his keynote presentation, where he discussed the challenges and threats facing people and businesses across the world with regards to data protection and the need for solutions which provide them with greater security.

Charles Hoskinson, CEO of IOG, said: “We need systems that provide people with the freedom to work, collaborate and interact while maintaining control and autonomy over data. When we don’t have these basic rights, our ability to connect with the rest of the world is hampered or controlled by forces beyond our control.

“These are values we hold dear at IOG and why we have been working tirelessly to create a new solution which enshrines and upholds these freedoms, giving users autonomy over how their data is used and the visibility of their transactions.”

As part of the ScotFest event, the Midnight team also hosted a developer workshop, where attendees could learn more about this novel programming language, the product roadmap, and different use-cases that are possible with this protocol.

The new platform forms a key part of IOG’s goal to advance the development of secure blockchain technologies. It comes following a series of announcements which show the company’s commitment to blockchain data protection, including funding of a new research lab focused on the development of Zero Knowledge Protocols, which are key to creating more secure blockchain networks and led by Dr Markulf Kohlweiss. IOG has also appointed Zero-Knowledge Protocol expert, Dr. Vanishree Rao as its Head of Applied Cryptography.

For more information and to sign up to receive regular updates on Midnight, visit: midnight.iohk.io

founded 1 year ago
MODERATORS
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
 
 

In this episode of Unshielded: A Blockchain & Data Podcast by Midnight, a team of experts introduces the groundbreaking Midnight network.

Join them as they cover:

  • The challenges in current data management and blockchain adoption
  • Midnight's innovative approach to data protection and blockchain utility
  • The architecture and design of the Midnight network
  • The Compact programming language and its benefits
  • Real-world use cases for Midnight
  • Midnight's unique token system with NIGHT and DUST
  • The roadmap from Devnet to beyond Mainnet
  • Ecosystem development and support for various participants
  • And much more!

If you enjoyed this episode, make sure to subscribe, rate and review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and Google Podcasts, instructions on how to do this are here.

Episode Highlights: [00:00:10] Introduction to Midnight and the data management challenge [00:02:31] Midnight's key features and improvements over existing blockchain technologies [00:06:45] The Compact language and its role in Midnight's architecture [00:08:18] Midnight's architecture and lightweight design [00:10:00] Use cases for Midnight, including digital identity and asset tokenization [00:11:56] Token utility: Night and Dust [00:14:39] Midnight's roadmap: from Devnet to beyond Mainnet [00:17:01] Ecosystem development and support for developers and app operators

Episode Resources:

  • Eran Barak on LinkedIn: / eranbarak
  • Ben Beckmann on LinkedIn: / benjamin-beckmann-ph-d-a19b0520
  • Thomas Kerber on LinkedIn: / semihonest
  • Mauricio Magaldi on LinkedIn: / magaldi
  • Anthony Day on LinkedIn: / anthonyjjday

To learn more about the Midnight Network, visit us: https://midnight.network/ docs.midnight.network midnight.network/whitepaper

15
 
 

cross-posted from: https://infosec.pub/post/17011376

Decentralized governance starts now! First!

16
 
 

In this enlightening keynote session from #RareEvo24, Midnight CEO Eran Barak explores the critical role of advanced data protection solutions in accelerating the adoption of #Web3 technologies.

Discover how safeguarding privacy and enhancing security can remove barriers and unlock the full potential of decentralized applications and platforms.

Whether you're a developer, entrepreneur, or blockchain enthusiast, this session offers valuable insights into the future of Web3 and the pivotal role that data protection will play in its success.

Learn more about Midnight: https://midnight.network/

Are you a builder? 🛠️ Join the Midnight Network Discord: / discord
Follow Midnight on X: https://x.com/MidnightNtwrk Follow Midnight on Telegram: @Midnight_Network_Official

17
 
 

In this episode of #Unshielded: A Blockchain & Data Podcast by Midnight, host Anthony Day connects with Kevin Millikin, Principal Architect for Midnight.

Join them as they discuss:

👉 An under-the-hood look at Compact as a programming language 👉 Why Midnight needs its own language, and the importance of great developer experience. Kevin highlights the differences in working with Blockchain technology 👉 A live #demo of Compact language by showcasing the code for a bulletin board app 👉 Compact roadmap: Aligning more closely with TypeScript 👉 Why developers need to join the Midnight Discord channel 👉 The need to innovate in decentralized applications

Kevin Millikin is a seasoned software architect specializing in programming language design and implementation. Currently, at Midnight, he is instrumental in developing a cutting-edge data protection blockchain platform. This innovative platform leverages zero-knowledge (ZK) proofs to ensure secure computations while maintaining privacy. Kevin's work focuses on designing a domain-specific language (DSL) for smart contracts, creating a compiler targeting JavaScript, and developing a custom virtual machine runtime for on-chain computations. His expertise extends to building support libraries, developer tools, and the overall architecture that drives this privacy-focused blockchain solution.

Kevin has also worked at Google and Deep Mind and, while there, worked on an experimental Python optimizing JIT compiler using the CPython interpreter and runtime. This was open-sourced as S6 (https://github.com/google-deepmind/s6). He also worked on Alphabet-internal Python development tools, including Python static typing and static analysis of Python programs.

📲 Kevin on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/kevin-millikin-89a235/

⭐️ If you enjoyed this episode, make sure to subscribe, rate, and review it on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Google Podcasts. Instructions on how to do this are here: https://www.fame.so/follow-rate-review ⭐️

Episode Highlights: [00:00:00] An under-the-hood look at Compact as a programming language [00:01:13] Why Midnight needs its own language, and the importance of great developer experience [00:04:15] Kevin highlights the differences in working with Blockchain technology [00:07:42] A live demo of Compact language [00:12:25] Compact roadmap: aligning more closely with TypeScript [00:16:38] Kevin encourages developers to join the Midnight Community [00:19:10] The need to innovate in decentralized applications (DApps)

To learn more about the Midnight Network, visit the website at https://midnight.network/

18
 
 

Midnight is headed to Rare Evo and you’re invited to tune in live to the upcoming keynote on The Dawn of a New Era for Web3. 🎲♠️

Join Midnight CEO, Eran Barak, for an insightful session on how advanced data protection solutions can help drive the widespread adoption and unblocking of Web3.

This live stream will take place at Rare Evo in Las Vegas.

19
 
 

Meet Diego Lizarazo, the DevRel Lead at Midnight. Watch his interview as he shares his experience at the Cardano Hackathon by NMKR.

In this interview, he touches on: 👉 Why Midnight joined the Cardano Hackathon 👉 The Midnight Network community 👉 What actions he'd like developers to take 👉 The importance of in-person events

🎙 To hear more about the Midnight track at the hackathon, check out the recent X space featuring the hackathon winners, the Midnight DevRel team, and the CEO and Founder of NMKR: https://x.com/MidnightNtwrk/status/18...

Join the Midnight Network community to stay up to date on future events: ✨ Discord: / discord
✨ Telegram: https://t.me/Midnight_Network_Official ✨ X: https://x.com/MidnightNtwrk

Ready to learn more? https://midnight.network/

20
 
 

In this episode of Unshielded: A Blockchain & Data Podcast by Midnight, host Anthony Day is joined by Mauricio Magaldi, Head of Product at Midnight.

Join them as they:

👉 Shine a light on the critical role of ZKPs in enhancing data protection 👉 Explain Midnight's innovative smart contract system 👉 Explore the hurdles in adopting blockchain within traditional finance (TradFi) 👉 Examine the slow regulatory adaptation, the burden of legacy technology, and the risks associated with data exposure on public blockchains 👉 Unpack Midnight’s roadmap to Mainnet (and beyond) 👉 Discuss Midnight’s ambition to become a ubiquitous yet discreet infrastructure 👉 ... And much more!

Mauricio Magaldi is a seasoned expert in blockchain technology and data governance, and is currently Head of Product at Midnight. With a robust background in finance and a significant tenure as a Chief Data Officer, Mauricio has cultivated deep expertise in data protection, zero-knowledge proofs, and blockchain applications. His professional journey includes pivotal roles at IBM, HSBC and 11:FS, contributing to the development and strategic direction of blockchain solutions. Recognized as a Top 10 Thought Leader in Blockchain and Cryptocurrency by Thinkers360, Mauricio's impact spans across multiple industries, while the majority of his recent experience has been driving business transformation and innovation in financial services.

📲 Maurício on LinkedIn: / magaldi

⭐️ If you enjoyed this episode, make sure to subscribe, rate and review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and Google Podcasts, instructions on how to do this are here: https://www.fame.so/follow-rate-review ⭐️

Episode Highlights: [00:04:05] How zero-knowledge proofs enhance data security [00:07:48] Challenges in scaling digital assets in traditional finance [00:12:21] Kachina protocol: data protecting smart contracts [00:15:40] Midnight's roadmap: from devnet to mainnet launch [00:22:47] Innovative cryptographic techniques and ecosystem interoperability [00:27:04] Building a developer-centric blockchain community [00:33:41] Midnight's vision for blockchain and data protection

To learn more about the Midnight Network, visit the website at https://midnight.network/

21
 
 

In this episode of Unshielded: A Blockchain & Data Podcast by Midnight, host Anthony Day is joined by Jonathan Sobel, the Consulting Architect for Midnight at Input Output Global.

Join them as they: -Discuss Midnight’s architecture, including the role of compilers, contracts, decentralized blockchain nodes, and proof servers -Shine a light on the significance of zero-knowledge proofs and their role in enhancing security -Explore how zero-knowledge proofs and data-separating mechanisms can change the way developers approach building secure applications. -A live demo of how to set up Midnight on your machine, how to code, launch and interact with the bulletin board demo DApp -And much more!

Jonathan Sobel is the Consulting Architect for Midnight at Input Output Global, tasked with designing and deploying complex systems while specializing in software architecture, programming language design, and implementation. With a background in storage management, risk management, and regulatory compliance, Jonathan brings a wealth of experience to his role at Midnight, focusing on making blockchain technology accessible and beneficial for developers from all backgrounds.

22
 
 

In this episode of Unshielded: A Blockchain & Data Podcast by Midnight, host Anthony Day is joined by Charles Hoskinson, Co-Founder and CEO of Input Output Global.

Join them as they: Delve into the vision behind Midnight Unpack the core technologies driving Midnight Midnight's role in creating a universal consensus algorithm Shine a light on the challenges of transparency in Web3 Examine why previous generations of blockchains can't keep a secret Consider why projects like Midnight are needed to unlock wider adoption of decentralized technology And much more!

Charles Hoskinson is the Co-Founder and CEO of Input Output Global, a blockchain engineering company. A prominent figure in the blockchain community, Charles is known for his significant contributions to the development of blockchain technology. He first entered the blockchain space to create sound money and trustworthy institutions. Charles was a co-founder of Ethereum and has since founded various pivotal projects under Input Output Global, including Cardano and Midnight.

If you enjoyed this episode, make sure to subscribe, rate and review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and Google Podcasts, instructions on how to do this are here.

Episode Highlights:

[00:03:39] The vision behind Midnight: Bridging transparency and privacy in blockchain

[00:06:53] Core technologies driving Midnight

[00:16:36] The challenges and innovations in blockchain privacy and scalability

[00:22:49] The complexities of global transactions and metadata in blockchain

[00:30:38] Privacy and linkability in blockchain transactions

[00:35:00] The importance of privacy in an age of permanent records

[00:46:19] Midnight's blockchain innovations and future plans

Episode Resources: Charles Hoskinson on Twitter: @IOHK_Charles Midnight Network on Twitter: @midnightntwrk

23
 
 

A regulation-friendly data protection blockchain and easy-to-use platform for developing and running decentralized applications is being released to the world. Midnight provides the tools to build regulation-compliant DApps that use innovative features. But Midnight is more than just technology. Its creators are bringing together industry leaders, developers, content creators, and organizations who want to promote responsible data management worldwide. Midnight CEO, Eran Barak, shares this vision at Cardano Summit 2023.

24
25
view more: next ›