Cardano’s Midnight Network Launches NIGHT Token Airdrop Across Eight Chains

Midnight Network, Cardano’s privacy-centric sidechain, has officially opened the first phase of its NIGHT token rollout.

The “Glacier Drop” airdrop is now live, allowing eligible wallets across eight major blockchain ecosystems to claim their NIGHT allocations, according to an August 5 announcement.

This marks the beginning of a multi-stage distribution effort aimed at promoting fairness and long-term engagement, while minimizing the impact of opportunistic farming. Eligibility for this first wave was based on a snapshot taken June 11, targeting wallets that held at least $100 in native tokens on networks such as Bitcoin, Ethereum, Solana, BNB Chain, Cardano, Avalanche, Ripple’s XRP Ledger, and Brave.

Multi-Phase Rollout With Long-Term Vision

The Glacier Drop is structured in three parts: the current Claim Phase (open for 60 days), a 30-day Scavenger Mine where unclaimed tokens can be earned through on-chain activity, and a four-year Lost-and-Found period allowing late claims from eligible users after mainnet launch.

Participants must connect their wallets to Midnight’s official portal to verify eligibility and begin the non-custodial claim process. Importantly, NIGHT tokens will not be immediately tradable. Instead, after Midnight’s mainnet goes live, a “Redemption Period” will release tokens in four randomized unlock events over the span of 360 days—encouraging long-term commitment to the network.

Airdrop With a Purpose

Midnight Foundation president Fahmi Syed described the distribution as an experiment in reshaping how value is shared across decentralized ecosystems. “This airdrop is a rethink of how value and access can be distributed across chains, communities, and use cases—and is designed to resist manipulation and encourage long-term engagement,” he stated.

Privacy at the Core

Midnight aims to bring privacy to smart contracts using zero-knowledge proofs and selective disclosure tools. The network is designed to allow users to control their data while enabling transparency where needed—addressing one of the core limitations in current Web3 infrastructure.

With Glacier Drop now underway, Midnight is setting the tone for a more inclusive, privacy-first blockchain economy.