Founded in 2018, @Dusk was created with a clear focus on one problem most blockchains avoid: how to bring real financial markets on chain without breaking privacy laws or regulatory rules. From the start, the goal wasn’t hype-driven DeFi but a Layer 1 built for regulated finance, where institutions can issue, trade, and settle assets while keeping sensitive data private and still auditable. Dusk’s modular design and zero-knowledge technology allow transactions to stay confidential while remaining verifiable, which is essential for things like tokenized securities, compliant DeFi, and real-world assets operating under frameworks such as MiCA and the EU DLT Pilot Regime.
The project began development in 2018 and raised roughly $10 million across early funding rounds, with backing from names like Binance Labs, Maven 11, Bitfinex, BlockVentures, and other crypto-focused funds that understood the long-term vision. DUSK initially circulated as an ERC-20 and BEP-20 token before the network moved toward full independence. Mainnet went live in September 2024, marking a key shift from research-heavy development to real deployment. Since then, DUSK has been listed on major exchanges, with steady trading volume that moves with broader market cycles rather than short-lived hype.
Price action has seen multiple phases, from early lows near the private sale range to strong rallies during peak market conditions, followed by cooling periods. Like most infrastructure-focused projects, its valuation tends to reflect long-term expectations more than short-term speculation. On-chain metrics such as TVL remain modest compared to consumer-focused chains, but that’s largely because Dusk is built for permissioned, compliance-aware use cases where value doesn’t always show up as public liquidity. The ecosystem is gradually expanding with staking, tooling, and EVM compatibility, laying the groundwork for institutions and developers who need privacy by default.
What makes Dusk interesting isn’t flashy numbers or viral narratives. It’s the fact that the chain is designed for situations where privacy is mandatory, regulation is unavoidable, and trust actually matters. That’s real utility, and it’s the kind that tends to grow quietly before the market fully notices.
