Midnight (NIGHT) Airdrop by Cardano: Full Details, Eligibility, Claim Steps & Vesting

On August62025 the crypto world saw one of the biggest airdrops of the year: the Midnight airdrop that handed out 24billion NIGHT tokens to users across eight blockchains. If you hold any of the supported assets and still wonder whether you qualified, how the claim worked, or what happens to the tokens now, this guide breaks everything down in plain English.

Key Takeaways

• The Glacier Drop opened on Aug62025 and closed Oct42025; the claim window is now over.
• Eligibility required at least $100 worth of a native asset on June112025 across BTC, ETH, XRP, SOL, AVAX, BNB, BAT or ADA.
• 50% of the total supply (12billion NIGHT) was reserved for Cardano holders; the rest were split 20% for Bitcoin and 30% among the other chains.
• Tokens vest in four equal phases over 360days after the mainnet launch, unlocking 25% every 90days.
• Unclaimed tokens moved to the Scavenger Mine and later Lost‑and‑Found phases, giving a second chance to earn NIGHT through network‑building tasks.

Below you’ll find the full eligibility formula, step‑by‑step claim instructions (for those who did it on time), the token‑distribution table, and what to do now if you missed the window.

Who and What Got the Airdrop?

The airdrop was launched by Midnight Network a privacy‑centric sidechain built on the Cardano ecosystem. Its native utility token, NIGHT the governance and utility token for the Midnight privacy network, was minted in a single batch of 24billion coins and distributed via the so‑called Glacier Drop. The distribution was deliberately cross‑chain: holders of Bitcoin, Ethereum, Ripple, Solana, Avalanche, BNB Chain, Brave (BAT) and Cardano were eligible. The snapshot that determined eligibility was taken on June112025, using a random timestamp to stop last‑minute buying tricks.

Eligibility Rules at a Glance

• Wallets must have held at least $100 worth of the native asset (BTC, ETH, XRP, SOL, AVAX, BNB, BAT or ADA) at the snapshot.
• Only self‑custody wallets counted; exchange‑hosted balances were excluded unless the exchange claimed on behalf of its users.
• Addresses on the U.S. Treasury’s OFACSDN list were automatically blocked, preventing sanctioned entities from receiving NIGHT.
• Eligibility was algorithmic and public - you could verify your status on the official claim portal.

Because the $100 threshold was measured in USD, the exact amount of the native coin varied. For example, with BTC priced at $50000, the threshold equated to roughly 0.002BTC; with Cardano at $2.50, it meant about 40ADA.

Allocation Breakdown by Chain

How to Claim - Step‑by‑Step (What Eligible Users Did)

The claim portal (midnight.gd or midnight.network) required two cryptographic proofs. Below is the exact workflow that successful claimants followed during the 60‑day window.

1. Visit the official claim site and click “Connect Wallet”. Supported connections included Eternl, Lace, Yoroi (all Cardano wallets) and MetaMask for cross‑chain address verification.
2. Run the first proof: sign a message with the wallet that held the qualifying assets. The signature proved custody without moving any funds.
3. Enter a fresh, unused Cardano address where the NIGHT tokens will be sent. The portal rejected any address that had previously received funds, ensuring clean separation of claim and receipt.
4. Submit the second proof - a cryptographic hash that ties the signed message to the new Cardano destination. The backend smart contract verified the link instantly.
5. Receive a confirmation screen with a transaction ID. The NIGHT tokens were then locked in a vesting smart contract on the Cardano ledger.

If any step failed, the portal displayed an error code and let you retry without losing eligibility, as long as it was before the Oct4 deadline.

Vesting Mechanics - Why You Can’t Trade All NIGHT Immediately

Midnight’s tokenomics purposefully avoid “dump‑and‑run” scenarios. Once claimed, NIGHT tokens are held by a Cardano smart contract that releases them in four equal phases over 360days after the mainnet launch. Each phase unlocks 25% of the holder’s allocation, but the exact timestamps are randomized within each 90‑day window. This “gradual thawing” means you’ll see a small amount become tradable roughly every three months, with no way to predict the exact moment.

The vesting schedule only starts once the mainnet goes live - the date has not been announced yet, so current holders must wait for that announcement before the clock ticks. Until then, your NIGHT remains locked but visible on‑chain.

The Three‑Phase Distribution Cascade

If you missed the Glacier Drop deadline, your tokens didn’t just vanish. Midnight designed a recovery pipeline that funnels unclaimed NIGHT into two later phases.

• Scavenger Mine: After Oct4, all leftover tokens moved to a public‑good puzzle system. Participants solve computational tasks (similar to proof‑of‑useful‑work) and earn a share of the pool. Success also helps bootstrap core network nodes.
• Lost‑and‑Found: Once the mainnet launches, any tokens still idle after the Scavenger Mine become a final bounty. Users can claim them by staking DUST (the network’s gas token) and proving contribution to network health.

This cascade guarantees that the entire 24billion supply eventually circulates, but it rewards active community members rather than passive holders.

Compliance, Self‑Custody and Real‑World Friction

Midnight’s legal team ran every address through OFAC’s Specially Designated Nationals list, cutting out sanctioned actors. The airdrop also required self‑custody at snapshot time, meaning most exchange‑held balances were automatically ineligible. That decision aligns with the project’s “rational privacy” philosophy but created a usability hurdle for users who only knew how to trade on centralized platforms.

Because the final token receipt always lands on Cardano, non‑Cardano users had to set up at least one Cardano wallet. Guides from the community (video walk‑throughs posted August52025) proved essential - they showed how to generate a fresh Yoroi address, link it to the claim portal, and understand the vesting timeline.

What the Airdrop Means for Cardano and the Wider Crypto Space

Allocating half of the total supply to ADA holders makes the Glacier Drop the single largest Cardano‑centric token distribution ever recorded. It encourages Cardano users to become early validators on the privacy sidechain, potentially boosting staking participation across both networks.

From a market perspective, the cross‑chain design - eight ecosystems in one drop - sets a new benchmark for how projects can seed a multi‑chain community without relying on heavy marketing spend. The transparent, dollar‑value‑based eligibility replaces the usual “social‑media‑engagement” criteria, positioning the airdrop as merit‑based.

Tips, Common Pitfalls and How to Avoid Them Next Time

• Check the snapshot date early. A $100 threshold may seem tiny, but price swings can make the required coin amount dramatically different.
• Use a self‑custody wallet. If you keep crypto on an exchange, you’ll be out of luck unless the exchange publicly announces support.
• Prepare a fresh Cardano address before the claim opens. That saves you from scrambling for a new wallet during the tight window.
• Follow the official step‑by‑step guide. Skipping the signature proof or entering the wrong address results in a failed claim.
• Watch for the mainnet launch announcement. Your vesting clock starts then, not when you claimed.

Next Steps If You Missed the Glacier Drop

Don’t panic - the Scavenger Mine is still live. To participate, you’ll need some DUST to stake on the puzzle platform (available on the Midnight testnet). Community forums are sharing puzzle‑solving strategies, and a leaderboard shows the current reward pool. If you’re comfortable with a bit of coding or even just willing to run a provided Docker image, you can start earning a slice of the unclaimed NIGHT.

Keep an eye on official Midnight announcements for the upcoming Lost‑and‑Found bounty. Historically, those final rounds reward users who have already contributed DUST to the network, so building a small DUST stake now could pay off later.