Charles Hoskinson, Co-Founder of Cardano, has confirmed a collaboration between Google Cloud and the Midnight Foundation. The partnership, focused on data protection, will support Midnight, a privacy-preserving sidechain for Cardano, developed by Input Output Global (IOG).
Midnight’s official page on X made the announcement, clearly outlining Google Cloud’s role in the partnership and use of the zero-knowledge (ZK) technology.
The center of the collaboration is advancing privacy infrastructure and zero-knowledge (ZK) technology, a cryptographic method that allows one party to prove they know a piece of information without revealing it. This would help bring blockchain solutions into sectors that handle sensitive information, such as finance, healthcare, and government.
While Cardano’s public blockchain is a foundational ledger for decentralized apps (DApps), the Midnight network is set up as a complementary partner chain to provide a layer of programmable privacy.
“Organizations are under pressure to innovate with sensitive data while maintaining complete control over it,” said Fahmi Syed, President of the Midnight Foundation, adding, “Midnight transforms privacy from a technical barrier into a competitive advantage, enabling confidential financial systems, verifiable digital identity, and secure applications that can operate at scale with regulatory compliance built in.”
Google Cloud’s role in the partnership
The Google Cloud team will provide critical technical support, including running a validator for the Midnight network and offering security services through its Mandiant division. This support will benefit Cardano by expanding community tools and resources. Projects building on Midnight will have the opportunity to apply for the Google for Startups Web3 Program. The qualifying teams could potentially receive up to $200,000 in Google Cloud Platform credits. This new incentive aims to onboard and empower the next generation of builders, driving innovation and growth.
Richard Widmann, Head of Web3 Strategy and Operations at Google Cloud, stated, “By providing scalable infrastructure, we’re enabling developers to experiment with innovative zero-knowledge frameworks to verify transactions without exposing sensitive data.”
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