What is Dusk (DUSK)?
Dusk is a Layer 1 blockchain designed for regulated financial applications. The network enables financial instruments such as securities to be issued, traded, and settled directly on-chain while aligning with European regulatory frameworks including the Markets in Crypto-Assets regulation (MiCA) and the DLT Pilot Regime. It combines privacy-preserving technology with compliance features to support both confidentiality and transparency within regulated financial environments.
The network allows securities to be created and exchanged on-chain with settlement completed through atomic delivery-versus-payment (DvP). In this process, the transfer of securities and the corresponding payment occur in a single transaction, ensuring that either both are executed or neither occurs, which removes settlement risk. Transactions can be private or transparent. Private transactions use zero-knowledge proofs to confirm compliance with rules without revealing sensitive information, while transparent transactions remain publicly visible. Dusk also supports smart contracts through DuskEVM, an execution environment compatible with the Ethereum Virtual Machine that allows developers to use standard Ethereum tooling while deploying on the Dusk network.
DUSK is the native utility token used to operate and secure the network. It functions as the gas token for transaction fees and is also used for staking by validators participating in the network’s consensus process. Validators must stake a minimum of 1,000 DUSK to take part in block validation and earn rewards for maintaining the network.
Dusk Network B.V. was incorporated in Amsterdam in September 2018 by Emanuele Francioni and Fulvio Venturelli. Francioni designed the Dusk blockchain and its Segregated Byzantine Agreement consensus mechanism, while Venturelli contributed experience in software architecture and infrastructure development. DUSK initially launched as an ERC-20 token on Ethereum and later as a BEP-20 token on Binance Smart Chain before the mainnet launch on 7 January 2025 after several years of development and testing.
The network runs on Succinct Attestation, a Proof-of-Stake consensus protocol where validators are selected through deterministic sortition. Blocks pass through proposal, validation, and ratification stages and become final once approved by a supermajority of validators. Privacy is integrated at the protocol level using zero-knowledge cryptography, including PLONK proofs, stealth addresses, and Pedersen commitments. The codebase is written in Rust and maintained as open source.
Dusk supports the issuance and settlement of tokenized securities through its Hedger framework, which implements the ERC3643 standard for compliant security tokens. The framework supports identity verification, transfer restrictions, corporate actions, and asset freezing. Settlement can use Monerium EURe as the on-chain euro-denominated payment asset.
DUSK has a maximum supply of 1 billion tokens. The network initially issued 500 million tokens, with the remaining supply distributed through block rewards over approximately 36 years following a geometric emission schedule with halving events occurring roughly every four years. The current circulating supply is approximately 567.5 million DUSK.
DUSK is listed on Binance for trade and purchase. The current price of DUSK is available and updated in real-time on Binance.