Cardano Founder Hoskinson Confirms Midnight Mainnet Launch in March

Highlights:

• Charles Hoskinson announced that Cardano’s privacy network Midnight mainnet starts end of March.
• Google, Telegram, and other big names will help Midnight launch successfully. 
• Midnight differs from projects like Monero or Zcash by offering smarter, balanced privacy.

Cardano Founder Charles Hoskinson said the privacy blockchain Midnight will launch its mainnet in the last week of March. He shared this news during his speech at the Consensus Hong Kong event. He said strong partners will support the launch. Hoskinson named Google and Telegram and said more partners will join later. He also said he feels excited about the project.

Cardano Introduces Midnight Token and New Privacy System

The Cardano ecosystem already released Midnight’s NIGHT token in December. It came through a large airdrop. The token gained attention fast and got listed on big exchanges like Binance. Hoskinson said the mainnet launch will build on this early success. He explained that partnerships will help the network grow and handle more users.

He also introduced a tool called Midnight City Simulation. This tool shows how the system protects privacy. Information stays private by default. Users can share details only when needed. This method tries to balance privacy and real-world use. It offers a different approach compared to other privacy coins.

🔥MIDNIGHT NOT TARGETING MONERO OR ZCASH USERS

Charles Hoskinson said Midnight won’t chase XMR or ZEC users, calling them a different demographic already focused on privacy.

Instead, it aims at the billions who don’t know they need privacy, making Midnight a default, not an… pic.twitter.com/od4QHIvANB

— Coin Bureau (@coinbureau) February 12, 2026

Hoskinson also addressed misconceptions surrounding privacy-focused chains. He noted that the philosophy behind Midnight differs from the simplistic models promoted by other projects. “What Monero and ZCash have been trying to convince people is that it’s like a light switch. We’re private. The switch is on. Everybody else is not. The switch is off. That’s not how that works,” he said. His remarks show that Midnight aims to redefine how privacy is understood and implemented in blockchain systems.

Besides these updates, Hoskinson turned his attention to the crypto industry. Jokingly wearing a McDonald’s uniform to reflect market struggles, he said, “The industry is not healthy. S*** is getting real. Twitter is a nuclear dumpster fire. Sentiment is at an all time low.” He added it’s only a short-term dip, noting that “the bigger picture is still positive.”

🔥HOSKINSON: CRYPTO NEEDS A NEW NARRATIVE

Wearing a McDonald’s cap, Charles Hoskinson said the industry “is not healthy,” with sentiment at an all-time low.

But he argued that while the micro looks bad, the macro backdrop is forcing a pivot. pic.twitter.com/hdxppacSF8

— Coin Bureau (@coinbureau) February 12, 2026

Cardano Expands Institutional Reach with LayerZero and USDCx Launch

Hoskinson also confirmed that LayerZero will join Cardano, taking a big step toward the network’s institutional growth. LayerZero is designed for financial markets and recently got support from Citadel Securities. With this integration, Cardano can handle cross-chain operations and faster, high-performance financial apps, which can attract bigger investors.

Moreover, Hoskinson shared that USDCx will soon launch on Cardano. The stablecoin will work with many wallets and exchanges, giving institutions ready-to-use infrastructure. He added that it will support privacy-focused, unchangeable transactions using zero-knowledge technology. Combined with Midnight’s mainnet, this move strengthens Cardano’s privacy ecosystem and expands its use for both institutions and regular users.

The integration comes at an interesting time. Just days after LayerZero announced its own Layer 1 blockchain, Zero, a wallet linked to Alameda Research, swapped around $24 million in Stargate (STG) tokens for LayerZero’s ZRO token. Arkham data shows 129 million STG were exchanged for 11.14 million ZRO, which highlights significant early activity in LayerZero’s ecosystem.

🚨LATEST: ALAMEDA BANKRUPTCY WALLET SWAPS $24M IN STG FOR ZRO

After @LayerZero_Core revealed plans to launch its Layer 1, Zero, Alameda’s bankruptcy-linked wallet moved funds.

Data from @arkham shows 129.04M $STG worth $24.49M was swapped.

In return, the wallet received 11.14M… https://t.co/VoX2w2pcr3 pic.twitter.com/uvISlcb8Iv

— BSCN (@BSCNews) February 12, 2026