What is Midnight?
A blockchain where privacy is built into the protocol itself, not bolted on as a feature flag.
Privacy by design
Every smart contract on Midnight runs inside a privacy-preserving execution environment backed by zero-knowledge proofs. Inputs stay private. Outputs stay verifiable. The chain only ever sees the math.
Zero-knowledge proofs
Prove a fact is true without revealing how you know it or any of the underlying data.
Private smart contracts
Write contracts where the inputs are private but the outputs are publicly verifiable.
Fast and efficient
Compact compiles to efficient circuits. Real proofs generate in seconds, not minutes.
Midnight vs other chains
Comparison| Chain | Privacy | Smart contracts | Use case |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ethereum, Solana, Polygon | Public by default | Yes (public) | General purpose |
| Monero, Zcash | Private by default | No (currency only) | Private payments |
| Midnight | Private by default | Yes (with privacy) | Private apps + DeFi |
How Ghostlist uses Midnight
- 01You generate a proof locally using your secret. The secret never leaves your device.
- 02The proof demonstrates that you are on the allowlist without revealing which entry.
- 03Your wallet submits the proof and a fresh nullifier (a one-way hash) to Midnight.
- 04The contract verifies the proof and records the mint. Your identity is never linked to the slot.
Where to go next
Midnight documentation
Official developer guides, references, and the Compact language tour.
Midnight explorer
Verify transactions and contracts on Preprod or Mainnet.
Lace wallet
The official Midnight browser extension. Required for Ghostlist.
Compact language
Domain-specific language used to write Midnight ZK circuits.
Preprod faucet
Get free tNight testnet tokens to fund your Lace wallet.
Zero-knowledge in three examples
- IdentityProve you are over 18 without showing your birthdate.
- GhostlistProve you are on the allowlist without showing which entry is yours.
- DeFiProve you hold collateral without revealing the size of your position.
Try Ghostlist
Open the mint The mint page is the cleanest demo of all of this.
One wallet, one proof, one Ghost. The chain records a nullifier. Nothing else.