Enter your details to see if you were eligible for the Midnight airdrop.
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.
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.
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.
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.
| Chain | Percentage of Total Supply | Number of NIGHT Tokens |
|---|---|---|
| Cardano (ADA) | 50% | 12billion |
| Bitcoin (BTC) | 20% | 4.8billion |
| Ethereum (ETH) | 5% | 1.2billion |
| Ripple (XRP) | 5% | 1.2billion |
| Solana (SOL) | 5% | 1.2billion |
| Avalanche (AVAX) | 5% | 1.2billion |
| BNB Chain (BNB) | 3% | 720million |
| Brave (BAT) | 2% | 480million |
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.
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.
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.
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.
This cascade guarantees that the entire 24billion supply eventually circulates, but it rewards active community members rather than passive holders.
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.
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.
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.
No. The airdrop was open to holders of eight different blockchains. However, 50% of the total supply was reserved for ADA holders, and all tokens were ultimately delivered to a Cardano address.
The primary claim window closed on Oct42025. Unclaimed tokens moved to the Scavenger Mine phase. You can earn those tokens by solving the network’s computational puzzles.
After the mainnet launches, the locked NIGHT tokens unlock in four equal parts over 360days, with roughly 25% becoming tradable every 90days. Exact unlock times are randomized within each quarter.
DUST is the network’s gas token. It pays transaction fees on Midnight and is also required to stake for the Scavenger Mine puzzles and the Lost‑and‑Found bounty.
Midnight wanted to ensure that every recipient controlled their private keys. Most exchanges did not implement a claim‑on‑behalf feature, so their custodial wallets were automatically filtered out.
I'm a blockchain analyst and active trader covering cryptocurrencies and global equities. I build data-driven models to track on-chain activity and price action across major markets. I publish practical explainers and market notes on crypto coins and exchange dynamics, with the occasional deep dive into airdrop strategies. By day I advise startups and funds on token economics and risk. I aim to make complex market structure simple and actionable.
Comments1
Michael Bagryantsev
October 13, 2025 AT 09:06 AMHey everyone, just wanted to point out that the $100 threshold was surprisingly low for many of us, especially when crypto prices were volatile. It’s easy to miss the snapshot if you don’t keep an eye on the date. Make sure you always have a self‑custody wallet ready for future airdrops. Also, double‑check the claim portal for any error codes before the deadline hits.