Security

Midnight uses technology that allows DApps to validate user data without sharing it, which protects users’ identities, ensuring integrity – the assurance that data has not been tampered with.

For this, Midnight leverages zero-knowledge (ZK) technology, a method that ensures privacy and security in digital interactions. Zero-knowledge proofs (ZKPs), a key application of ZK technology, enable one party to prove to another that a specific statement or claim is true without revealing any additional information beyond the claim itself.

ZKPs are instrumental in addressing two core challenges:

• Ensuring that sensitive information remains private while proving necessary facts.
• Enabling trust and compatibility across systems without exposing underlying data.

Additionally, Midnight employs ZK Snarks, a highly efficient form of ZKP, to facilitate secure transactions without revealing the identities of the transacting parties or transaction details.

It is important to note that there are different types of ZKPs. Midnight chose ZK Snarks as this is currently the most attractive proving system from the verifier’s perspective. By ensuring both efficiency and strong security guarantees, ZK Snarks are a ‘Swiss army knife’ for blockchains and distributed ledgers, with applications in data protection, and interoperability.

ZK Snarks are implemented in the Zswap transaction protocol and Midnight smart contracts. These protocols preserve confidential data and enable smart contract development methods that facilitate concurrency and security for transactions involving assets and the exchange of value.