Established in 2018, Dusk emerges as a Layer-1 blockchain solution meticulously crafted to deliver institutional-grade privacy and compliance, enabling seamless trading of real-world assets directly from users' wallets. Tailored for both regulated and decentralized finance sectors, Dusk endeavors to reshape the financial landscape by facilitating the on-chain integration of regulated assets. At the heart of Dusk lie three fundamental pillars: privacy, compliance, and accessibility, paving the way for institutional-grade assets to be accessible to all users. Employing cryptographically robust Zero-Knowledge Proofs (ZKPs) to uphold privacy, Dusk's research team has been at the forefront of ZKP advancements, garnering recognition through published papers. The groundbreaking Piecrust, a custom ZKP virtual machine, represents pioneering progress in the blockchain and privacy realms. Dusk's product suite includes Citadel, a ZKP licensing solution adept at streamlining KYC/AML processes and subscription-based models, laying the groundwork for the future economy. For businesses and institutions, Dusk offers a spectrum of advantages, including automated compliance, instant settlement finality, and unified liquidity access. Leveraging private smart contracts, Dusk surpasses traditional banking standards in privacy provisions. For users, Dusk presents the opportunity to transcend the crypto realm, enabling seamless trading of regulated real-world assets with the same autonomy as digital assets. Powered by the DUSK token, the Dusk network operates on a Proof-of-Stake (PoS) consensus mechanism, inviting participation from anyone keen to contribute to network security. Validators secure the network by staking DUSK tokens, and transactions are settled using DUSK. Dusk adopts the Phoenix transactional model to extend privacy and anonymity to both transactions and smart contracts. Furthermore, tokens deployed on Dusk benefit from Zedger, a hybrid privacy-preserving model tailored for security tokens. The network's security is fortified by the 'Segregated Byzantine Agreement' (SBA) consensus mechanism, which enhances the underlying PoS mechanism through cryptographic sortition, stealth time-locked transactions, and a reputation module, fostering decentralization and integrity. Dusk's headquarters are located in Amsterdam, The Netherlands.