TLDR:
- Midnight mainnet launches next month after Charles Hoskinson’s confirmation at Consensus Hong Kong.
- Google Cloud will operate a federated node and deploy Confidential Computing to protect user data.
- AlphaTON will integrate Midnight’s privacy tech onto Telegram’s Cocoon AI for confidential interactions.
- Shielded Technologies moves beyond protocol development to running and securing Midnight’s node infrastructure.
Midnight mainnet is set to launch next month following an announcement by Input Output CEO Charles Hoskinson at Consensus Hong Kong. Four organizations have been named as trusted federated node operators for the network.
Google Cloud and Blockdaemon Join as Infrastructure Partners
Google Cloud will operate critical network infrastructure as part of its collaboration with the Midnight Foundation. This includes running a federated node and providing additional services to support network growth. The Mandiant division will handle advanced threat monitoring and incident response for the network.
Midnight’s zero-knowledge proof technology will also leverage Google Cloud’s Confidential Computing capabilities.
This setup removes the environment operator from the trust boundary. It also adds hardened protection against cloud service provider access to private data.
On the collaboration, Richard Widmann, Head of Web3 Strategy and Operations at Google Cloud, said: “By providing scalable infrastructure, we’re enabling developers to experiment with innovative zero knowledge frameworks to verify transactions without exposing sensitive data.”
Blockdaemon, which secures over $110 billion in digital assets, will also operate a federated node. The company brings institutional-grade infrastructure experience from serving major financial institutions.
Its participation is part of a broader strategic partnership targeting privacy-enhancing infrastructure for regulated markets.
AlphaTON and Shielded Technologies Round Out the Operator Network
AlphaTON Capital, a public technology company focused on Telegram’s ecosystem, will serve as the third node operator.
The company plans to layer Midnight’s programmable privacy onto Telegram’s Cocoon AI. This would allow users to interact with AI agents for finance and commerce without exposing personal data.
Speaking on the opportunity, Enzo Villani, Chairman of the Board at AlphaTON Capital, stated: “By building the critical infrastructure that enables confidential AI on a global platform, we are creating a highly scalable revenue stream. We are capturing a first-mover advantage in a market where users are increasingly seeking digital sovereignty over centralized models that harvest their information.”
Shielded Technologies, which emerged from Input Output’s cryptographic research, is the fourth operator. The company already develops the Midnight protocol and the Compact smart contract language. Running node infrastructure marks an expanded role in the network’s operations.
Reflecting on the mainnet transition, Bob Blessing-Hartley, CTO of Shielded Technologies, remarked: “Transitioning from not only developing Midnight’s infrastructure, but now helping to run and secure it, reflects our confidence in the network’s readiness and our commitment to seeing this architecture operate at scale.”
The Midnight Foundation plans to move from this federated model toward full decentralization over time. Foundation President Fahmi Syed said this path would be “stewarded thoughtfully and responsibly.”
Node operators currently active on the Preprod network will carry that role into the live mainnet environment.
