Midnight Enters Kukolu Stage: Genesis Block Expected in 90 Days — The Countdown Begins

Midnight just flipped the switch on its Kukolu stage—and the clock is ticking. The project's genesis block is slated to land in just 90 days, marking a hard deadline for its leap from concept to live network.

The Kukolu Blueprint

This isn't a testnet dress rehearsal. Kukolu represents the final, critical phase of infrastructure deployment before mainnet launch. Teams are now stress-testing consensus mechanisms, finalizing node configurations, and locking down the protocol's economic rules. Every line of code written now becomes immutable law in three months.

Why 90 Days Matters

The timeline is aggressive—purposely so. It forces execution discipline, prevents feature creep, and creates a tangible milestone for developers and investors. In crypto, a public deadline is either a credibility builder or a spectacular failure mode. Midnight's betting it's the former.

The Finance Angle (With a Dash of Cynicism)

Genesis block launches often trigger speculative froth—remember the 'digital gold rush' narratives of cycles past? This time, the smart money is watching for actual chain activity post-launch, not just the ceremonial first block. Because in this game, adoption pays the bills; hype just pays for influencers.

What's Next

Expect a surge in technical documentation, validator onboarding programs, and final governance proposals. The project enters a communications blackout for deep technical work, then re-emerges for a final audit and security review. If all holds, we get a new chain. If not—well, 90 days is a long time in crypto.

One thing's certain: the countdown is live. The network either launches with substance or joins the graveyard of ambitious whitepapers. Tick-tock.

TLDR

• Cardano Midnight has officially entered the Kukolu phase, which confirms the network is ready for real-world deployment.
• The Kukolu phase allows developers to launch live applications without concerns about resets or network instability.
• The NIGHT token is now fully tradable and can be used within the ecosystem as liquidity has reached operational levels.
• The Genesis block is expected to emerge within 90 days if development continues on schedule.
• Although the price of NIGHT has increased recently the trading volume recently remains low following a decline at the end of 2025.

Cardano Midnight has entered the Kukolu phase, which confirms the network’s readiness for full-scale real-world adoption, product deployment, and trading activity, and the team projects the Genesis block could be deployed within 90 days if development proceeds as planned.

Kukolu Phase Unlocks Real-World Deployment

The Kukolu phase, now active, is described by the development team as a “safe port” for the network. It enables builders to deploy real-world applications without concerns over resets or structural failures.

JUST IN: KŪKOLU – MIDNIGHT'S "SAFE PORT" PHASE IS HERE!

With $NIGHT token launched and liquidity firmly established, Kūkolu is the moon phase symbolizing development, strengthening, and building.

This is the "safe port" from which the ecosystem's privacy-enhancing DApps can… pic.twitter.com/aJsjuhWP9u

— midnightexplorer.com (@midnightexplr) January 1, 2026

The network has completed critical groundwork, ensuring stability and secure deployment conditions. Liquidity for the ecosystem has also matured, allowing the native token NIGHT to support functional transactions.

The developers confirmed that applications built on Midnight will prioritize user privacy by default. This aligns with the network’s mission to support confidential transactions and shielded user identities.

NIGHT Token Now Fully Tradable Within the Ecosystem

NIGHT, the native token of Cardano Midnight, is now fully live for trading within the ecosystem. Its availability marks the activation of the network’s economic layer.

Users can now use NIGHT in transactions without restrictions, as liquidity now meets operational thresholds for normal utility. Incentives are now active, rewarding participation across the network’s services.

NIGHT saw its value rise by 4.6% in the past 24 hours. It climbed from $0.08337 to a peak of $0.0899 before settling at $0.08862.

Trading Volume Remains Low Despite Bullish Signals

Despite the upward movement in price, trading volume has not shown recovery yet. Data shows volume plunged by 45% just before the end of 2025.

This decline in volume limits short-term momentum, though technical indicators still point to possible gains if volume turns upward. Buying pressure continues to increase as traders respond to live deployment updates.

The asset launched in December 2025 with an all-time high of $1.81. However, market volatility has pushed the current price to below $1.

Concerns have surfaced within the community about the project’s timing. Some users questioned the roadmap aligning with a possible bear market in early 2026.

One user posted, “Why was such a distant date chosen?” suggesting the team should consider broader market cycles. No direct response was issued to this feedback.

The cardano Midnight team remains focused on pushing the Genesis block live within 90 days. “The time is now, Midnight is entering the explosive real-world adoption era!” the team stated.

Developers and partners are invited to test live applications under the Kukolu phase. The network’s structure now supports real user interaction and continuous operation.

NIGHT remains under watch as its price action reflects current ecosystem activity. If volume strengthens, it may support a further rally in the coming weeks.