Midnight, a sidechain emphasizing privacy on the
Cardano
(ADA) network, has
revealed it has minted the full 24 billion NIGHT tokens
at an exceptionally low expense of only 0.80
ADA
, which was about $0.52 at the time of the blockchain transaction. This achievement is a major milestone ahead of the token’s official debut on December 8, 2025, as
verified by Cardano’s founder Charles Hoskinson
at the Midnight Summit. The ability to mint such a vast supply at minimal cost highlights Cardano’s strengths in low transaction fees and scalability,
making it a strong contender
for blockchain advancement.
The NIGHT token, created to enable confidential transactions on the Midnight platform,
employs zero-knowledge proofs
(ZK-SNARKs) to achieve both privacy and adherence to regulations. The dual-token system uses NIGHT for governance and network participation, while DUST, a non-transferable asset, is required for shielded transactions
as outlined in the official documentation
. The token’s cross-chain capabilities ensure balances are kept in sync between Cardano and Midnight,
preserving the total supply of 24 billion
.
NIGHT tokens will be distributed in several phases to help stabilize the market. Qualified individuals, such as early contributors and testers, will
get their initial token allocations
on December 8, with the rest of the tokens released in four equal parts over 360 days. This phased release is designed to promote ongoing participation and minimize immediate sell-offs. In addition, leading exchanges are set to
list NIGHT on the day of launch
, ensuring immediate trading opportunities and exposure.
Cardano plays a crucial role in the development of Midnight. The project
leverages Cardano’s Hydra layer-2 technology
to boost scalability, especially for the Glacier Drop airdrop, which distributed tokens across several chains. Collaboration with Google Cloud further enhances Midnight’s technical foundation,
providing support for validator nodes
, secure computing, and threat detection. These alliances showcase Cardano’s expanding ecosystem and its attractiveness for enterprise-level solutions.
The 0.80 ADA minting fee has been praised as evidence of Cardano’s efficiency.
Community analysts such as Ed n' Stuff
, a notable Cardano advocate, point out that such minimal costs reinforce Cardano’s reputation as a “sound money infrastructure,” echoing Hoskinson’s view that Cardano and
Bitcoin
are the only networks fitting this description. This cost-effectiveness is especially important for projects needing large token supplies, as it lowers both operational expenses and entry barriers.
Although Cardano’s native coin, ADA, has been in a prolonged downturn,
with its value lingering around $0.45
, the Midnight initiative could spark renewed enthusiasm for the Cardano ecosystem.
Data from derivatives and on-chain activity
indicate early signs of a rebound, with undervalued MVRV ratios and favorable funding rates hinting at possible short-term gains. Still,
technical signals such as the MACD
and EMA remain negative, suggesting that sustained buying is needed to reverse the current trend.
The launch of Midnight marks a significant turning point for Cardano,
merging privacy features, scalability, and institutional collaborations
to broaden its applications beyond conventional blockchain uses. As December 8 approaches, both the Cardano community and the wider crypto market will be watching closely to see how the token performs and what effect it has on network adoption and utility.
