Developer Builds Privacy-First Prediction Market Using Zero-Knowledge Proofs on Midnight

A developer has built a privacy-preserving prediction market called Hidden League Forecast on Midnight, a privacy-focused blockchain, to address a key flaw in platforms like Polymarket where bets are publicly visible in near real time. On traditional on-chain prediction markets, large bets by influential players immediately shift odds and influence others, undermining independent forecasting. The project uses zero-knowledge proofs via Midnight's Compact smart contract language, allowing users to stake points on a team without revealing their pick on-chain — only a cryptographic commitment and stake amount are recorded. Picks remain hidden until an admin closes the prediction phase, after which participants reveal their choices and winners claim a pari-mutuel payout from the losing pool. The build is currently an MVP using a fictional soccer league as its test case, demonstrating that concealed-until-reveal prediction markets are technically feasible on privacy-oriented blockchains.