Midnight: v8 upgrade adds private smart contracts and custom tokens - Q4 2026
Midnight plans to release its v8 upgrade in Q4 2026, adding private smart contracts and custom tokens to the network. The planned upgrade would introduce the first programmable privacy capability among the major privacy coins, extending the network's functionality to support privacy-focused applications.The connection to NIGHT is through fee capacity, which comes from holding the token. Application activity using the new capabilities could therefore create demand for NIGHT to support that capacity. The mechanism ties potential token demand to use of private smart contracts and custom tokens, rather than to the release announcement alone. The planned features provide the functionality; application activity would determine whether that translates into additional fee-capacity demand.