Charles Hoskinson confirms LayerZero port to Cardano, teases USDCx launch and Midnight mainnet At Consensus Hong Kong on Thursday, Input Output CEO and founder Charles Hoskinson announced that LayerZero will be ported to the Cardano blockchain — a move he framed as a major step toward institutional-grade activity on Cardano. Hoskinson made the reveal during a keynote peppered with showmanship (he appeared in a McDonald’s uniform as a tongue-in-cheek reference to recent market pain) and blunt market commentary. “The industry is not healthy. S*** is getting real,” he said, while characterizing the downturn as a micro event and arguing that “the macro remains bullish.” What he announced - Cardano is partnering with LayerZero to bring USDCx to the network. Hoskinson said a launch date is already set and that the roll-out will include broad wallet and exchange support. - USDCx on Cardano, he added, will leverage zero-knowledge technology to deliver “stablecoins with true privacy and immutability,” positioning the offering as institutional-grade. - The LayerZero news landed the same day as the reveal of Midnight’s mainnet rollout, another development Hoskinson highlighted as part of the broader Cardano momentum. About LayerZero and the timing LayerZero bills itself as a blockchain aimed at powering institutional-grade markets. The project also attracted attention this week after Citadel Securities invested in LayerZero on Wednesday, a backing that adds weight to the integration announcement. Why it matters If delivered as described, bringing a privacy- and ZK-powered USDCx to Cardano with wallet and exchange support could expand payments and trading rails on the chain and signal growing institutional interest. The simultaneous Midnight mainnet launch increases the likelihood this will be positioned as a coordinated push to broaden Cardano’s infrastructure and market appeal. UPDATE (Feb. 12, 2026, 02:21 UTC): Adds additional information and commentary from Charles Hoskinson. Read more AI-generated news on: undefined/news