Midnight Network upgrades mainnet to Ledger 9 with private transfers and contract calls

Midnight Network has upgraded its mainnet to Ledger 9, adding private transfers and private contract calls to the privacy-focused chain. The release also targets improved interoperability, which the project expects to draw new developers and applications to the network. The upgrade went live without a pre-production testing phase, a shortcut that introduces added security risk for contracts and transfers on the platform. The change matters because privacy-preserving smart contract functionality is Midnight's core differentiator in a crowded Layer 1 field. What to watch next is whether the untested code holds up under real usage and whether new projects follow through on deploying to the upgraded network.