In this episode, we speak with Nik Kassis, Director of Growth and Ecosystem Development at Midnight — a ZK-powered blockchain that will be Cardano’s first partner chain.

Nik explains how zero-knowledge proofs (ZK-proofs) are foundational to Midnight’s architecture, how it achieves shared security with Cardano, and why he believes revenue generation and real-world utility will define the next wave of crypto adoption.

We also cover the involvement of Charles Hoskinson (co-founder of Ethereum and founder of Cardano), Cardano’s plans around Bitcoin DeFi, and how digital identity could be radically reimagined in a privacy-first future.

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Guest Links / Additional Material:

Learn more about Glacier Drop: https://www.midnight.gd/

Midnight Website: https://midnight.network/  

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Timestamps:

00:00 - Intro

01:30 - Glacier Airdrop

03:30 - What Is Midnight?

05:35 - Cardano’s 1st Partner Chain

08:35 - Privacy and AI ( with @OODA_AI_ )

12:50 - The Magic of ZK-Proofs

14:33 - Digital Identity for AI Agents

17:47 - @IOHK_Charles + Midnight

19:20 - Cardano’s Bitcoin Strategy & Bitcoin DeFi

22:40 - Companies with Crypto Treasuries

24:30 - The Shift to Revenue in Crypto

27:09 - Use Cases

36:50 - Market News: On Bittensor, DeFi, Worldcoin, ZK & Base App

47:10 - Programmable Privacy

50:50 - Keeping Up with Midnight

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Disclaimer:

TEACHMEDEFI is a provider of entertainment and opinions. We are neither a broker/dealer nor an investment advisor. This is not a service for issuing or receiving financial or investment advice. None of our content constitutes a recommendation – or should be understood as such – to conduct transactions in securities, cryptocurrencies, or crypto-assets, or to engage in any of the investment strategies presented in our discussions or provided content. We do not provide personalized recommendations or views on whether a stock, cryptocurrency, crypto-asset, or investment approach is suitable for the financial needs of a particular individual.