Abram Schmidt

NEPTUNE PRIVACY: MANDATORY UPGRADE XNT Core v0.3.0 is live, bringing a major set of feature upgrades alongside important security enhancements. All node operators must upgrade before the consensus changes activate at block 97,000. Updated Android and iOS apps have also just been published. Mobile users: please update your apps ASAP. Special thanks to @t_allfather for discovering and reporting the security issue addressed in this release. His contribution has helped strengthen Neptune’s security. This is the final core upgrade before the Leviathan update. Details below👇

NEPTUNE AMA RECAP: PRIVATE VALUE, PROGRAMMABLE APPLICATIONS, AND CONFIDENTIAL AI In our latest AMA with @ourcryptotalk, we explored what Neptune Privacy is building and where the ecosystem is heading next. The discussion centered on three connected priorities: privacy by default, post-quantum security, and programmability. Check out the key takeaways below: PRIVACY STARTS AT THE FOUNDATION Neptune’s Layer 1 is secured by proof of work, with privacy built into the protocol for all transactions, including $XNT mining rewards. Leviathan extends that foundation with programmability. Its account model defaults to private accounts, while allowing users to choose public accounts for applications and integrations that require transparency. The goal is to make privacy the starting point while giving developers flexibility in what they build. SECURITY DESIGNED FOR THE LONG TERM Neptune uses hash-based zk-STARK proofs. This architecture is central to its approach to post-quantum security: building around cryptographic foundations designed to withstand future quantum threats. On Leviathan, Falcon-512 signatures extend that approach to wallet authentication. EXPLORE THE LEVIATHAN PUBLIC TESTNET The Leviathan public testnet gives users a practical way to explore the ecosystem through a familiar wallet and application experience. Participants can: • Set up the Chrome extension wallet. • Claim test tokens through the faucet. • Send and receive assets. • Explore private swaps on NeptuneSwap. • Provide and remove liquidity. • Access Private AI using their Leviathan wallet. You don’t need to be a developer to participate. Testing these workflows and sharing feedback helps improve the experience as development progresses. Testnet assets have no real-world value. PRIVATE AI BEYOND THE PAYMENT LAYER The AMA also explored how privacy extends to computation. Private AI runs open-weight models inside a trusted execution environment, with prompts and responses encrypted between the user and the enclave. Access uses a Leviathan wallet, without requiring an email address or KYC. The aim is to protect sensitive conversations, including discussions involving intellectual property, development plans, and new ideas. Early testers are already exploring it as a tool for their own development work. CONNECTING NEPTUNE AND LEVIATHAN Another development discussed was the proof-based bridge between Layer 1 and Layer 2. The bridge enables XNT to move into Leviathan as wrapped XNT and return to Layer 1, connecting Neptune’s private settlement layer with Leviathan’s programmable environment. That connection allows users to move between private settlement and programmable applications within the same ecosystem. WHAT BUILDERS CAN EXPLORE NEXT The broader vision includes private lending and borrowing, additional exchanges, cross-chain connectivity, and other applications built on this infrastructure. The discussion also touched on research into private key exchange: an approach to exchanging control of digital assets that could extend beyond assets native to Neptune. These are areas for further development, with builders helping shape what comes next. A central message from the AMA: privacy is about having control over your financial activity, your information, and how you participate online. We’re building the infrastructure to make that control usable. We encourage you to explore the testnet, read the docs, and connect with the Leviathan Pioneers community on Telegram.

GOING LIVE IN 20 MINUTES We’re joining @ourcryptotalk to talk about what we’ve been building at Neptune. Tune in and catch up with the team. teapaw.org/i/spaces/1DGleVgrqWVJL

DID YOU KNOW? You can already access the Leviathan public testnet through both our Chrome wallet and hosted web wallet. There are two ways to start exploring Leviathan. Choose the Chrome extension or access the hosted wallet directly through your browser. Both are live, marking two more completed milestones on our roadmap. The roadmap is becoming reality, one milestone at a time.

PRIVATE SMART CONTRACTS ARE LIVE ON LEVIATHAN PUBLIC TESTNET We’ve been quiet, but development keeps moving forward. Private smart contracts are live on the public testnet. This marks another completed milestone on our roadmap. Developers can now build applications that enforce rules for how funds are used while keeping sensitive transaction details private. Programmable rules. Verifiable execution. Private value. Progress is measured in milestones, not dates.