Midnight Network Ledger 9 Hard Fork Activates on Mainnet for Private Asset Transfers

The Midnight Network activated its Ledger 9 hard fork on mainnet on November 6, 2026. Node operators completed the upgrade from Ledger 8 to Ledger 9.1.0.1 through a governance vote after deploying version 2.1.101 of the node software.

The fork introduced native ECDSA secp256k1 signature support and Keccak-256 hashing inside the Compact runtime. These additions enable private cross-chain asset transfers and improve compatibility with enterprise custody solutions that rely on BIP-44 paths.

Technical Additions Delivered by Ledger 9

Developers now gain access to contract-to-contract calls that initially operate with unshielded data. The runtime also supports unshielded event emission, which simplifies integration with external monitoring tools while preserving the network’s shielded state model.

All existing NIGHT balances carried forward unchanged. Deployed smart contracts and cNIGHT-backed DUST registrations migrated automatically, though the DUST state reset once during the process. Node operators reported a replay of roughly 48 blocks before normal operation resumed.

New software versions became mandatory on mainnet. These include Wallet SDK 2.0.0, Midnight.js 5.0.0, Compact toolchain 0.36.0, on-chain runtime v4, proof server 9.0.0, and indexer 4.4.101. Indexers must re-index from genesis because Ledger 8 transaction formats no longer decode.

User and Infrastructure Requirements

Mainnet participants did not need to take manual action. Balances and contract state moved without intervention from individual holders. The Preview testnet reset as a fresh Ledger 9 chain on November 6 and 7, requiring fresh tNIGHT registration for DUST. Preprod remains on Ledger 8.1.3.

The upgrade bypassed the standard Preprod soak period for security reasons. Governance participants approved the direct mainnet deployment after node operators signaled readiness.

Midnight maintains a dual-ledger architecture that keeps zero-knowledge shielded state alongside a public record. The Ledger 9 changes focus on selective disclosure features that support compliance needs while expanding options for private DeFi and cross-chain activity.

Next Steps for Ecosystem Participants

Further documentation updates are scheduled in the coming weeks. A separate governance process will address activation of the cNIGHT–mNIGHT bridge. No firm dates have been set for additional testnet upgrades or new shielded DeFi primitives.

Teams building on the network can now explore stablecoin transfers and custody integrations that use the new ECDSA and hashing primitives. Indexer operators must complete full re-indexing to restore full query functionality.