Midnight (NIGHT) Airdrop by Cardano: Complete Details on the Glacier Drop, Eligibility, and Claiming Process
30 August 2025

Midnight Airdrop Eligibility Calculator

Calculate Your Eligibility

Enter your holdings as of June 11, 2025. The Glacier Drop required at least $100 across all supported chains to qualify.

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Important Note: The Glacier Drop claim window closed on October 4, 2025. If you missed this deadline, unclaimed tokens entered the Scavenger Mine phase where you could still earn NIGHT tokens by solving network puzzles.

On August 6, 2025, one of the biggest cryptocurrency airdrops in history went live - the Midnight (NIGHT) Glacier Drop. Backed by the Cardano ecosystem and led by founder Charles Hoskinson, this wasn’t just another token giveaway. It was a carefully engineered effort to bootstrap a privacy-focused blockchain network with real community buy-in. Over 24 billion NIGHT tokens were distributed across eight major blockchains, but here’s the catch: if you didn’t claim by October 4, 2025, you missed the first major chance to get them.

Who Was Eligible for the Midnight Airdrop?

The Glacier Drop didn’t care if you were a crypto veteran or a new holder. All it needed was one thing: you had to own at least $100 worth of native cryptocurrency on one of eight supported chains as of June 11, 2025. That’s it. No social media posts. No surveys. No Discord roles. Just proof of ownership.

The supported chains were:

  • Bitcoin (BTC)
  • Ethereum (ETH)
  • Ripple (XRP)
  • Solana (SOL)
  • Avalanche (AVAX)
  • BNB Chain (BNB)
  • Brave (BAT)
  • Cardano (ADA)
The $100 threshold was calculated based on the market price of each asset at the exact moment of the snapshot - a random timestamp on June 11. That meant someone holding 0.002 BTC (if Bitcoin was at $50,000) qualified, while another person needed 40 ADA (if Cardano was trading at $2.50). The system didn’t care how you got there - just that you were holding.

How Were Tokens Distributed?

The 24 billion NIGHT tokens weren’t split evenly. The allocation was weighted to reflect the project’s core identity:

  • 50% (12 billion tokens) went to Cardano (ADA) holders - because Midnight is a Cardano sidechain.
  • 20% (4.8 billion tokens) went to Bitcoin holders - acknowledging BTC’s role as the original decentralized asset.
  • 30% (7.2 billion tokens) was split among Ethereum, XRP, Solana, Avalanche, BNB Chain, and BAT based on the dollar value of holdings in each.
This meant if you held $500 in ADA and $300 in ETH, you qualified for both portions - potentially receiving a much larger total allocation than someone holding just one asset. The system was algorithmic, transparent, and designed to reward genuine participation, not manipulation.

How to Claim NIGHT Tokens

Claiming wasn’t automatic. Even if you were eligible, you had to take action. The claim window opened on August 6, 2025, and closed on October 4, 2025 - a 60-day window. Here’s what you had to do:

  1. Go to the official portal: midnight.gd or midnight.network.
  2. Connect your wallet from one of the eight supported chains (Eternl, Lace, Yoroi, MetaMask, etc.).
  3. Sign a cryptographic message proving you control the private keys of your wallet - without moving any funds.
  4. Provide a new, unused Cardano wallet address where you wanted to receive your NIGHT tokens.
This two-step proof ensured only real users - not bots or exchange accounts - could claim. Most centralized exchanges like Binance, Coinbase, or Kraken didn’t support the airdrop, meaning if your crypto was sitting on an exchange, you were out of luck unless the exchange opted in - and nearly all of them didn’t.

Kids connecting wallets to a tree that drips NIGHT tokens, with a robot digging up missed coins.

Why a Cardano Wallet? It’s Not What You Think

Even if you held Bitcoin or Ethereum, you still had to give a Cardano wallet address to receive NIGHT. That’s because Midnight is a sidechain built on Cardano’s infrastructure. The token itself lives on Cardano, using its security and smart contract capabilities. So while you qualified based on your BTC or ETH balance, the token delivery was Cardano-native.

This created a barrier for users unfamiliar with Cardano. Setting up a new wallet - especially one that could handle smart contracts - wasn’t trivial for beginners. Many missed out simply because they didn’t know how to create a Lace or Eternl wallet. Community tutorials on YouTube and Reddit became essential guides during the claiming window.

What Happens After You Claim?

Claiming didn’t mean instant access. NIGHT tokens are locked by a Cardano smart contract and unlock in four phases over 360 days:

  • 25% unlocks after 90 days
  • Another 25% after 180 days
  • Another 25% after 270 days
  • Final 25% after 360 days
Here’s the twist: the unlock times are randomized within each 90-day window. There’s no fixed date. This prevents coordinated selling events and discourages quick flips. The goal? To turn airdrop recipients into long-term participants - validators, developers, and governance voters.

The token model is dual-layered:

  • NIGHT = utility token for governance and staking
  • DUST = network fee token used for transactions
This separation is intentional. It keeps transaction costs low and stable while giving NIGHT holders control over the network’s future.

What If You Didn’t Claim?

The deadline passed on October 4, 2025. If you didn’t claim, your tokens didn’t vanish. They rolled into the next phase: the Scavenger Mine.

In this phase, users solve public-good computational puzzles - tasks that help build and secure the Midnight network. Solve them, and you earn a share of the unclaimed tokens. It’s not passive. You have to work for it. But it’s fair. No more free handouts - now it’s contribution-based.

After Scavenger Mine, any leftover tokens enter the Lost-and-Found phase - a final recovery window after mainnet launch. This ensures that nearly every one of the 24 billion tokens eventually finds a home with someone who actively participates in the network.

A child watches a token split into four phases over a spinning calendar, others solve puzzles for more.

Why This Airdrop Was Different

Most airdrops are marketing stunts. Midnight’s was a network launchpad.

  • Multi-chain eligibility - rare for a project tied to one chain.
  • OFAC compliance - excluded sanctioned addresses to avoid legal risk.
  • 360-day vesting - designed to prevent dumps and encourage long-term use.
  • Three-phase distribution - Glacier Drop, Scavenger Mine, Lost-and-Found - ensures maximum participation.
  • No social requirements - no Twitter followers, no Telegram groups. Just holdings.
It’s the closest thing to a “fair launch” we’ve seen in 2025.

What’s Next for Midnight?

The testnet is live. Developers are already building privacy-focused apps on it. Mainnet launch is expected in early 2026 - and that’s when the 360-day vesting clock starts ticking for everyone who claimed.

Once mainnet goes live, NIGHT holders will be able to:

  • Stake tokens to validate blocks
  • Vote on network upgrades
  • Use DUST to pay for private transactions
  • Build applications that protect user data without sacrificing functionality
Midnight’s goal isn’t to replace Bitcoin or Ethereum. It’s to add something they can’t: rational privacy. The ability to be private when you need to - and transparent when you must.

Final Thoughts

The Glacier Drop was a masterclass in token distribution. It didn’t try to trick people. It didn’t overpromise. It gave a clear path: hold, claim, participate. And if you missed it? There’s still a way in - through the Scavenger Mine.

This wasn’t just an airdrop. It was the first step in building a new kind of blockchain - one where privacy isn’t an afterthought. It’s the foundation.

Can I still claim Midnight (NIGHT) tokens after October 4, 2025?

No, the initial Glacier Drop claim window closed on October 4, 2025. If you didn’t claim by then, you missed the direct airdrop. However, unclaimed tokens are now being redistributed through the Scavenger Mine phase, where you can earn NIGHT tokens by solving computational puzzles that help build the Midnight network. This is your next opportunity to participate.

Do I need a Cardano wallet to claim NIGHT tokens?

Yes. Even if you held Bitcoin, Ethereum, or any other supported asset, you had to provide a new, unused Cardano wallet address to receive your NIGHT tokens. Midnight is a Cardano sidechain, so all tokens are issued and stored on the Cardano blockchain. You can use wallets like Eternl, Lace, or Yoroi to set one up.

Why did the airdrop exclude exchange wallets?

The Glacier Drop required self-custody - meaning you had to control your private keys. Most exchanges don’t allow users to sign cryptographic messages or provide external wallet addresses for airdrops. They also avoid the legal and operational risks of distributing tokens on behalf of users. Only users with wallets they control (like MetaMask, Eternl, or Ledger) could claim.

How long do I have to wait to use my NIGHT tokens after claiming?

Claimed tokens are locked in a smart contract and unlock gradually over 360 days after Midnight mainnet launches. You get 25% every 90 days, but the exact unlock time is randomized to prevent coordinated selling. Mainnet launch has not been announced yet, so the 360-day clock hasn’t started. Once it does, you’ll receive notifications about your unlock dates.

What’s the difference between NIGHT and DUST tokens?

NIGHT is the governance and utility token - you hold it, stake it, and vote with it. DUST is the network fee token - you use it to pay for transactions on the Midnight network. This separation keeps transaction costs predictable and stable while giving NIGHT holders long-term control over the network’s direction.

Is the Midnight network safe and legitimate?

Yes. Midnight is developed by the same team behind Cardano, led by Charles Hoskinson. The project uses advanced cryptographic privacy tools and has undergone extensive testnet testing. It complies with OFAC sanctions by excluding known bad actors. The official website is midnight.gd and midnight.network - always verify URLs before connecting wallets to avoid phishing scams.

Can I claim if I held multiple eligible assets?

Yes. If you held $100+ in Bitcoin AND $100+ in Cardano, for example, you qualified for both portions of the airdrop. Your total allocation was the sum of all eligible holdings across the eight chains. This made the airdrop especially valuable for multi-chain holders.

What happens to unclaimed tokens after the Scavenger Mine?

Any NIGHT tokens that remain after the Scavenger Mine phase enter the Lost-and-Found phase - a final recovery window that opens after mainnet launch. This ensures that nearly all 24 billion tokens eventually circulate among active network participants, not investors or insiders.

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