Miden Bets on Privacy-Focused Stablecoins with the Introduction of USDCx

cryptonews.ruPublished on 2026-08-13Last updated on 2026-08-13

Abstract

Miden, a zero-knowledge blockchain, is launching a privacy-focused stablecoin called USDCx alongside its mainnet in late August. Backed 1:1 by Circle’s USDC via Circle’s xReserve infrastructure, USDCx will allow users to store and transfer funds without publicly revealing balances, transaction history, or counterparties. The network, which processes and proves transactions on user devices, aims to provide default privacy with optional disclosure for compliance. Miden targets institutional finance use cases—such as private trading, B2B payments, and treasury management—addressing the transparency limitations of public blockchains while maintaining programmability and verifiability. The project, formerly part of Polygon and now independent, is backed by investors including a16z crypto and 1kx.

Miden plans to launch a privacy-focused stablecoin backed by $USDC from Circle Internet, coinciding with the launch of its zero-knowledge blockchain mainnet.

"USDCx, issued on the Miden platform using Circle's xReserve infrastructure, will be backed 1:1 by Circle's stablecoin held in an xReserve smart contract," the company stated in a press release on Wednesday.

Users will be able to hold and transfer USDCx without publicly revealing balances, counterparties, or transaction history.

The stablecoin is expected to launch simultaneously with the Miden Network, which is scheduled to go live by the end of August.

Miden is a California-based, client-proven zero-knowledge blockchain where transactions are executed and proven on users' devices, rather than being disclosed on the network. The goal of this architecture is to provide applications with privacy by default, allowing users to selectively disclose information when necessary.

The product aims to address one of the biggest challenges of using public blockchains for institutional finance: transparency.

The network's goal is to deliver privacy without compromising regulatory compliance. The selective disclosure system allows users to prove balances, provenance, or other information to auditors, regulators, and counterparties as needed.

Privacy has become a key barrier to moving more financial activity onto the blockchain. Public blockchains by default reveal transaction history, balances, and counterparty information, creating a level of transparency that is difficult to reconcile with how businesses and financial institutions operate.

Trading firms do not want to disclose positions, companies cannot broadcast salary and treasury activities, and individuals may not want their financial lives visible on a block explorer. Privacy infrastructure is meant to bring the confidentiality of traditional finance to the blockchain while preserving the programmability and verifiability of crypto.

Stablecoins are cryptocurrencies designed to maintain a stable value, typically by tracking the U.S. dollar. They have become a key component of crypto infrastructure, providing a bridge between traditional money and blockchains, enabling faster payments, trading, and settlement without the volatility of assets like Bitcoin or Ethereum.

Miden sees USDCx as the foundation for a broader category it calls "PriFi," encompassing private institutional trading, B2B payments, payroll settlement, cross-border payments, and corporate treasury management.

The company spun off from Polygon as an independent project in April 2025 and is backed by a16z crypto, 1kx, Hack VC, and others.

Related Questions

QWhat is USDCx, and how is it backed?

AUSDCx is a privacy-focused stablecoin launched by Miden. It is backed 1:1 by Circle's USDC stablecoin, which is held in an xReserve smart contract using Circle's xReserve infrastructure.

QWhat is the main goal of the Miden Network's architecture?

AThe main goal of Miden Network's architecture, which is a zero-knowledge (zk) blockchain based on client-side proof, is to provide applications with privacy by default. It allows users to selectively disclose information when necessary, aiming to offer privacy without compromising regulatory compliance.

QWhat major challenge in public blockchain usage for institutional finance does Miden aim to address with its product?

AMiden aims to address the challenge of transparency. Public blockchains by default reveal transaction history, balances, and counterparty information, creating a level of transparency that is difficult to reconcile with how businesses and financial institutions operate.

QWhat broader category does Miden envision for USDCx, and what use cases does it include?

AMiden envisions USDCx as a foundation for a broader category it calls 'PriFi' (Private Finance). This category includes private institutional trading, B2B payments, payroll settlement, cross-border payments, and corporate treasury management.

QWhen is the Miden Network mainnet launch expected, and what is its relation to Polygon?

AThe Miden Network mainnet launch is expected by the end of August. Miden spun off from Polygon as an independent project in April 2025.

Related Reads

Programmers Worldwide Are Wasting Money on Anthropic! The Company Can't Stand It Anymore

Anthropic recently published guidelines to help developers using Claude Code reduce unnecessary token costs. The key recommendations include: 1) Clear (/clear) conversations after completing a task to avoid carrying irrelevant file reads and command outputs into the next task. 2) Set the model and reasoning effort level at the start of a session, as switching mid-session invalidates the prompt cache, requiring a full-price recalculation of the entire dialog history. 3) Attach files using @ references instead of typing paths manually to avoid extra tool calls and searches that bloat the context. 4) Add quiet flags to verbose commands (e.g., in CLAUDE.md) to minimize lengthy output in the dialog history. 5) Use /compact while the session cache is still warm (before breaks) to compress the dialog at one-tenth the cost. 6) Offload large-output tasks to a sub-agent, which runs in an isolated context and only returns conclusions, preventing intermediate outputs from polluting the main dialog. The article explains token pricing: input tokens (prefill) are processed in parallel, while output tokens (decode) are generated serially, making output tokens five times more expensive. Caching is crucial for savings—if a request's prefix (system prompt, CLAUDE.md, dialog history) matches the previous one byte-for-byte, reading it costs only 10% of the standard input price. However, cache invalidation occurs when changing models, effort levels, fast mode, compressing dialogs, after cache expiration, or when resuming old sessions. Dialog history also grows quadratically (O(n²)) as file contents and command outputs accumulate, increasing costs per round. Proactive context management—like isolating noisy tasks, using /rewind to trim unproductive turns, and task-based session clearing—is becoming an essential skill for cost-effective AI-assisted development.

marsbit29m ago

Programmers Worldwide Are Wasting Money on Anthropic! The Company Can't Stand It Anymore

marsbit29m ago

Pax Silica vs. WAICO: The US Wants to Prohibit Europe from Using Chinese Artificial Intelligence

The United States is preparing to demand that European and other partners abandon Chinese artificial intelligence initiatives, threatening exclusion from the American-led "Pax Silica" coalition, according to a leaked U.S. State Department document. This ultimatum forces signatories of the "AI Opportunity Statement" to choose between the Western technological ecosystem and alternative frameworks, with China not explicitly named but clearly targeted. Pax Silica is a U.S. strategy for AI and semiconductor hegemony, launched in late 2025. Its European presence expanded significantly in mid-2026. Concurrently, China, Russia, and 27 other nations established the World AI Cooperation Organization (WAICO) in July 2026 as an independent intergovernmental platform promoting AI governance based on UN principles. This situation creates a difficult choice, especially for European nations balancing strategic autonomy with dependence on U.S. tech and security. It also pressures Global South countries with pragmatic ties to both Washington and Beijing. The formation of competing blocks risks fragmenting the global tech landscape, forcing companies to split supply chains, increasing costs, and potentially leading to incompatible standards and protocols. The era of open globalization in AI may be ending, replaced by geopolitical confrontation where technological sovereignty trumps economic efficiency. The decisions made will shape the global digital economy for decades.

cryptonews.ru2h ago

Pax Silica vs. WAICO: The US Wants to Prohibit Europe from Using Chinese Artificial Intelligence

cryptonews.ru2h ago

Robert Kiyosaki Shares His Mentor's Predictions About the Emergence of Bitcoin and AI

American entrepreneur and author of "Rich Dad Poor Dad," Robert Kiyosaki, discussed the influence of futurist R. Buckminster Fuller on his worldview, linking Fuller's past technological predictions to the emergence of Bitcoin and the development of artificial intelligence. In an X post, Kiyosaki also reflected on personal purpose, sharing his journey from the music business—where he worked with bands like The Police and Iron Maiden—to creating the "Cashflow" board game and writing his famous book. He described feeling an inner emptiness despite his success, a turning point that came after meeting Fuller, whom he studied with for three summers. Kiyosaki described Fuller as a "friendly genius" who foresaw world-changing developments like Bitcoin and AI. However, the core of his post focused on Fuller's philosophical impact, particularly a quote about belonging to the universe and finding purpose by dedicating one's life to the maximum benefit of others. The entrepreneur remains a vocal advocate for cryptocurrencies. He regularly advises buying Bitcoin during market panics, viewing it and assets like Ethereum, gold, and silver as hedges against traditional financial system failures. Kiyosaki has predicted a major market crash by 2026, seeing it as an opportunity for prepared investors, with long-term price targets including $750,000 for Bitcoin and $95,000 for Ethereum.

cryptonews.ru4h ago

Robert Kiyosaki Shares His Mentor's Predictions About the Emergence of Bitcoin and AI

cryptonews.ru4h ago

Etherealize CEO Calls Wall Street's Private Blockchains a 'Race to the Bottom'

Etherealize co-founder and CEO Vivek Raman criticized Wall Street's growing interest in private, permissioned blockchains, calling them a "race to the bottom." In an interview with CoinDesk, Raman argued that consortium networks fragment liquidity and return the industry to the siloed systems that blockchain technology was meant to overcome. He stated that closed networks do not interoperate, undermining two key advantages of the technology: system compatibility and liquidity concentration. Etherealize promotes Ethereum as an open, foundational layer for institutional players. Raman insists that privacy and access restrictions should be built on top of public infrastructure—at the application or L2 level—rather than creating separate, closed networks. He compared Ethereum to HTTP as a base layer, with additional permissioned and private layers akin to HTTPS. Examples of this new wave of "closed" solutions mentioned include Canton Network from Digital Asset, Circle's Arc project, and Stripe's Tempo. Raman termed this trend "consortium chains 2.0," recalling earlier initiatives like the R3 interbank consortium and the Hyperledger corporate ecosystem from 2016 that failed to gain significant traction. He reiterated his firm belief that a global, open, permissionless infrastructure is necessary as a foundational base layer. Raman previously noted in June that traditional financial institutions had begun implementing Ethereum-based solutions into real business processes.

cryptonews.ru4h ago

Etherealize CEO Calls Wall Street's Private Blockchains a 'Race to the Bottom'

cryptonews.ru4h ago

Trading

Spot
活动图片