In 2026, a new wave is sweeping through the crypto market—privacy and compliance, two seemingly contradictory concepts, are taking on new interpretations after the launch of Dusk Network's mainnet. This Layer 1 blockchain, refined over six years, integrates zero-knowledge proofs, fully homomorphic encryption, and modular design, targeting regulated financial institutions.

Unlike privacy chains like Monero that prioritize anonymity, Dusk employs "controlled visibility"—your transaction data can be audited, but trade secrets remain confidential. This logic perfectly aligns with the regulatory requirements of EU regulations like MiCA and MiFID II. What does this mean for institutions? It means real-world assets such as stocks, bonds, and real estate can be directly issued on-chain, eliminating the need to navigate complex compliance hurdles.

After the mainnet upgrade, DuskEVM's execution layer is in place, compatible with the Ethereum Virtual Machine and supporting Solidity development. Developers can deploy privacy-preserving applications directly using familiar tools like MetaMask and Remix. Imagine a tokenized bond trading platform running on Dusk: T+0 settlement (much faster than traditional T+2), with investor privacy secured like a vault.

Collaborations with European stock exchange NPEX (managing €30 billion in assets) are turning this vision into a tangible reality. The gateway to institutional-grade applications is now opening.