Cardano’s Midnight Network Launches Multi-Chain NIGHT Airdrop

Cardano has officially launched the long-awaited Glacier claim portal, enabling millions of users across eight major blockchain networks, including ADA and XRP holders, to claim their share of the new privacy-focused NIGHT token.

This marks the first phase of the Midnight network’s token distribution strategy, aimed at rewarding early supporters and expanding cross-chain engagement.

How the Glacier Drop Airdrop Works

The Midnight Glacier Drop is a three-phase airdrop program beginning with a 60-day claim period that allows eligible addresses to redeem free NIGHT tokens.

Supported blockchains include Cardano, Bitcoin, XRP Ledger, Ethereum, Solana, Binance Smart Chain, Avalanche, and Basic Attention Token (BAT). Eligibility was determined by a June 11 snapshot of wallets holding at least $100 in native assets.

To claim tokens, users must:

1. Connect their eligible wallet to the official Glacier portal.
2. Specify a destination wallet to receive the NIGHT tokens.
3. Accept the terms and conditions.
4. Sign a verification transaction.

This process is entirely non-custodial, ensuring users retain control over their assets.

Following the current claim phase, a 30-day “Scavenger Mine” phase will allow users to earn unclaimed tokens by completing on-chain tasks. A final “Lost-and-Found” phase will run for over four years post-mainnet launch, allowing stragglers to claim remaining tokens before unredeemed assets revert to the Midnight treasury.

Token Allocation: ADA and BTC Lead the Pack

A total of 24 billion NIGHT tokens have been allocated for this airdrop:

• 50% (12 billion NIGHT): ADA holders
• 20% (4.8 billion NIGHT): Bitcoin holders
• 30% (7.2 billion NIGHT): Equally shared among XRP, Ethereum, Solana, BNB, Avalanche, and BAT users (1.2 billion each)

Over 33.6 million addresses qualify, with notable distribution to 17.5 million BTC wallets and over 7.8 million ETH addresses. The number of tokens each wallet receives depends on its balance at the snapshot date.

Community Reaction and Ledger Hiccups

Within hours of launch, over 11,000 wallets had claimed more than 250 million NIGHT tokens, a figure that astonished Cardano founder Charles Hoskinson, who celebrated the milestone on social media.

However, some users, particularly those using Ledger hardware wallets, reported issues due to a limitation in Ledger’s CIP-8 message signing. Hoskinson confirmed a workaround is being developed and advised affected users to retry toward the end of the month.

Midnight’s NIGHT token will not be immediately tradable. Instead, a redemption mechanism post-mainnet will unlock tokens gradually over four randomized events spanning 12 months, promoting long-term commitment and ecosystem growth.

As Cardano expands beyond ADA into privacy-centric smart contracts with Midnight, this multi-chain airdrop sets a new standard for inclusive token distribution in the Web3 era.