Cardano boss Hoskinson: “Midnight is not after Monero or Zcash customers”
- Cardano boss Charles Hoskinson made it clear in a recent question and answer session at Consensus in Hong Kong that Midnight, the new privacy chain in the Cardano system, is not looking to poach customers of classic privacy coins such as Monero and Zcash.
- Their communities are highly specialized and technically savvy and know exactly what type of data protection they need. Midnight is aimed at a completely different target group: customers who unknowingly disclose sensitive data because data protection tools are not available or are too complicated.
Cardano boss Charles Hoskinson took the opportunity to fundamentally classify the data protection model of Monero and Zcash. Both cryptocurrencies rely on a binary understanding of data protection: either a transaction is completely hidden or completely transparent.
Although this “ON/OFF model” is attractive to purists, it is unsuitable for real-world applications in which selective handling of data is commonplace because it is necessary. This applies, for example, to audits, compliance processes or business documentation.
Midnight pursued hence the concept of “rational data protection”, which is active by default but can be relaxed in a controlled and logged manner if the situation requires it.
Midnight as a data protection tool for the mainstream
With the upcoming mainnet launch in March, Midnight is deliberately positioning itself not as a classic privacy coin, but as an infrastructure for the mass market. The chain is intended to fundamentally guarantee data protection without customers having to make technical decisions.
At the same time, Midnight remains interoperable because data can be selectively disclosed. Hoskinson emphasized that billions of people today don’t know how much they reveal in their everyday digital lives – and this is exactly where Midnight comes in. The aim is to normalize data protection instead of treating it as a special feature.
Differentiation from Monero and Zcash
Hoskinson’s statement should also be understood as a strategic clarification. Cardano’s Midnight is not intended to compete with Monero and Zcash, but rather to create a new category: a privacy chain that is both customer-friendly and compliance-ready.
While Monero and Zcash remain the home for privacy purists, Midnight is intended for those customers who need solid data protection without actively engaging with cryptography or privacy mechanisms.
This creates a clear target group priority: radical data protection on the one hand, complete transparency of classic blockchains on the other – and in between a new model with “adjusting screws” that can be used to adapt it to customer requirements.
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