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

Nov, 14 2025

Midnight (NIGHT) Airdrop Calculator

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Enter your crypto holdings as of June 11, 2025 to estimate your potential claim.

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As of June 11, 2025

Estimated NIGHT Tokens

Based on distribution rules

How This Works

50% to Cardano holders, 20% to Bitcoin holders, and 30% distributed among other chains based on total value.

Unclaimed tokens were distributed in three phases: Glacier Drop (Phase 1), Scavenger Mine (Phase 2), and Lost-and-Found (Phase 3).

Vesting Schedule (360-day release)

Timeframe	Percentage	Token Amount
0-90 days	25%
90-180 days	25%
180-270 days	25%
270-360 days	25%

The Midnight (NIGHT) airdrop was one of the most ambitious token distributions in 2025-not because it gave away millions of tokens, but because it redefined what an airdrop could be. Unlike typical crypto giveaways that reward social media followers or short-term holders, the Glacier Drop by Midnight Network targeted real, long-term crypto users across eight blockchains. It didn’t just hand out tokens. It built a privacy-first ecosystem from the ground up, with rules designed to prevent speculation and encourage real participation. And now, the window to claim has closed.

What Was the Midnight (NIGHT) Airdrop?

Midnight Network is a privacy-focused sidechain built on Cardano. Its goal? To let users transact privately without giving up usability. Most blockchains force you to choose: either your transactions are public (like Bitcoin) or they’re hidden but hard to use (like Monero). Midnight says you shouldn’t have to choose. The NIGHT token is the fuel for this system, used to pay for privacy features, governance votes, and app development on the network.

The airdrop, called the Glacier Drop, distributed the entire initial supply of 24 billion NIGHT tokens. That’s not a fraction. That’s everything. And it wasn’t given to insiders or venture capitalists. It went to ordinary people who held crypto on major blockchains on June 11, 2025.

Who Was Eligible?

To qualify, you needed to hold at least $100 worth of any supported cryptocurrency in your own wallet on June 11, 2025. The snapshot didn’t care if you held Bitcoin, Ethereum, Solana, or Cardano. It only cared about the dollar value. That meant:

If Bitcoin was at $50,000, you needed about 0.002 BTC
If Cardano was at $2.50, you needed around 40 ADA
If you held $150 in Ethereum and $80 in Solana, you qualified on both chains

The eligible blockchains were: Bitcoin (BTC), Ethereum (ETH), Ripple (XRP), Solana (SOL), Avalanche (AVAX), BNB Chain (BNB), Brave (BAT), and Cardano (ADA). A total of 34 million wallet addresses met the criteria.

But here’s the catch: you had to hold the crypto in a self-custody wallet. That means if your Bitcoin or Ethereum was sitting on Binance, Coinbase, or Kraken, you didn’t qualify-unless your exchange decided to claim for you. And almost none did. This rule ensured only people who truly controlled their keys could participate, aligning with decentralization principles.

How Were Tokens Allocated?

The 24 billion NIGHT tokens weren’t split evenly. The distribution was weighted to favor Cardano, since Midnight is a Cardano sidechain:

50% (12 billion tokens) → Cardano (ADA) holders
20% (4.8 billion tokens) → Bitcoin (BTC) holders
30% (7.2 billion tokens) → Split among Ethereum, XRP, Solana, Avalanche, BNB Chain, and BAT holders

Within the 30%, each chain got a share based on the total dollar value of all qualifying wallets on that chain. So if Ethereum holders had more total value than Solana, they got a bigger slice of that 30%.

This wasn’t random. It was a smart move. Cardano users got the biggest reward because they’re the core community Midnight needed to grow. But by including Bitcoin and Ethereum, Midnight reached users who might never have touched Cardano before-creating a bridge between ecosystems.

How to Claim (The Process)

The claim window opened on August 6, 2025, and closed on October 4, 2025. If you missed it, you missed your chance for this phase. But here’s how it worked for those who acted in time:

Go to the official portal: midnight.gd or midnight.network
Connect your wallet from one of the eight supported chains (Eternl, Lace, Yoroi, MetaMask, etc.)
Sign a message to prove you control your private key-no funds were moved
Provide a brand-new, unused Cardano wallet address to receive your NIGHT tokens

You had to use a fresh Cardano address. Existing Cardano wallets couldn’t be used. This was to prevent double-claiming and to ensure the network started with clean, dedicated addresses.

The portal only accepted self-custody wallets. If you didn’t have a Cardano wallet, you had to create one. For many Bitcoin or Ethereum users, this was the biggest hurdle. Setting up a Cardano wallet isn’t hard, but it’s not obvious if you’ve never used one.

A digital portal with locked time-based doors and a single unclaimed token floating nearby.

What Happens After You Claim?

You didn’t get instant access to your tokens. NIGHT tokens were locked in a Cardano smart contract and released in four equal parts over 360 days:

25% unlocked after 90 days
Another 25% after 180 days
Another 25% after 270 days
Final 25% after 360 days

The unlock dates weren’t fixed. They were randomized within each 90-day window. Why? To stop large groups of people from selling all their tokens at once. This "gradual thawing" was meant to prevent crashes and keep the token price stable.

The unlock only started after Midnight’s mainnet went live. And as of now, mainnet hasn’t launched. So even if you claimed on time, you still can’t trade your tokens. You’re waiting for the network to go live.

What About Unclaimed Tokens?

About 15% of eligible addresses didn’t claim. That means roughly 3.6 billion NIGHT tokens were left unclaimed. They didn’t vanish. They rolled into Phase Two: the Scavenger Mine.

In the Scavenger Mine, users solve public computational puzzles-like proof-of-work but useful. These puzzles help build core network infrastructure. Solve one, earn a share of the leftover tokens. It’s not mining for profit. It’s mining to help the network grow.

If any tokens remain after that, they go into Phase Three: Lost-and-Found. This is a final chance for people who missed the first two phases. After mainnet launches, anyone can try to recover tokens by proving they were eligible but didn’t claim.

This three-phase system is unique. Most airdrops end when the window closes. Midnight’s design ensures the entire 24 billion tokens eventually enter circulation through participation-not just luck.

Why This Airdrop Was Different

Most crypto airdrops are marketing stunts. Midnight’s was a technical and economic experiment:

Cross-chain targeting: Only a few projects have ever airdropped across eight chains.
No social requirements: No Twitter followers, no Discord roles. Just wallet holdings.
Long vesting: 360-day unlock discourages dumping.
Self-custody only: No exchange participation meant real decentralization.
Three-phase recovery: Unclaimed tokens weren’t wasted-they were recycled into network growth.

It wasn’t about hype. It was about building a real community of users who would stick around to use the network, not just sell and leave.

Hands assembling a Cardano-shaped puzzle amid floating computational challenges.

What’s Next for Midnight?

The mainnet launch is the next big milestone. Until then, NIGHT tokens are locked. The testnet is live, and developers are building privacy apps using DUST-the network’s transaction fee token. Once mainnet goes live, the 360-day unlock timer starts, and holders can begin using their tokens for governance and privacy services.

The project is betting that people will care enough about privacy to hold NIGHT long-term. If the network delivers on its promise-real privacy, real usability, real compliance-it could become one of the most important privacy tools in crypto.

Can You Still Get NIGHT Tokens?

No-not through the Glacier Drop. The claim window closed on October 4, 2025. If you didn’t claim by then, you lost your allocation.

But you’re not out of luck. You can still join the Scavenger Mine. It’s open now. Solve puzzles, contribute to the network, and earn leftover NIGHT tokens. It’s harder than claiming, but it’s fairer. You earn it by doing something useful.

You can also wait for the Lost-and-Found phase after mainnet launch. But that’s a long shot. Your best bet now is to get involved in the Scavenger Mine.

Final Thoughts

The Midnight airdrop wasn’t just a giveaway. It was a blueprint for how crypto projects should distribute tokens in the future. It prioritized fairness, long-term participation, and real utility over short-term speculation. It didn’t try to trick people into joining. It asked them to prove they were serious.

If you held crypto on June 11, 2025, and didn’t claim, it’s too late. But if you’re still interested in privacy, decentralized networks, or building the next generation of blockchain apps, Midnight is still worth watching. The real work is just beginning.

10 comments

Posted by Mike Calwell

07:25 AM 11/15/2025

lol i missed it. shoulda held more ada.
Posted by Jay Davies

23:06 PM 11/15/2025

This is actually one of the most thoughtfully designed airdrops I've seen. Self-custody requirement alone separates it from 95% of crypto gimmicks. The vesting schedule is brilliant - no dumping, no pump-and-dump. If only more projects did this.
Posted by Grace Craig

14:57 PM 11/16/2025

The architectural elegance of this distribution mechanism is nothing short of poetic. By eschewing performative social engagement and anchoring eligibility to sovereign wallet ownership, Midnight has reified the very ethos of decentralization. The three-phase recovery protocol is a masterstroke of economic foresight - a true antithesis to the entropy of speculative capital.
Posted by Ryan Hansen

17:18 PM 11/16/2025

I held some btc and eth back then but didn't even know about this until after the window closed. Honestly, I'm kinda pissed. I didn't get a single notification, no email, nothing. I was just scrolling through my wallet one day and realized I could've gotten free tokens. The whole thing feels like it was buried on purpose. Like, why not send out a newsletter? Why not make a post on r/cardano? I know it's not their job to remind people, but still... it's a little shady how quiet they were about it.
Posted by Teresa Duffy

04:50 AM 11/17/2025

I claimed mine and I'm so glad I did! Took me a week to set up my first Cardano wallet but it was worth it. I'm just waiting for mainnet now. The 360-day unlock feels like a slow burn but honestly? I'm cool with it. I want this to work, not flip it tomorrow.
Posted by Sean Pollock

22:34 PM 11/17/2025

Bro the whole thing is just a glorified ponzi scheme 😂 they just want you to buy ada to get more night later. 24 BILLION tokens?? That's like printing money and calling it "privacy." And why the heck do I need a NEW cardano wallet?? They're just trying to pump ada. I'm not falling for it. 🤡
Posted by Derayne Stegall

19:10 PM 11/18/2025

YOOOOO IF YOU DIDN'T CLAIM YOU STILL GOT TIME!! GO DO THE SCAVENGER MINE!! 🚀🔥 THIS IS YOUR CHANCE TO BE PART OF SOMETHING REAL!! 🙌
Posted by Shanell Nelly

16:50 PM 11/20/2025

For anyone confused about how to start the Scavenger Mine - the portal is on midnight.network under 'Contribute'. The puzzles are basic hash challenges, no mining rig needed. Just use your laptop. I solved 3 last week and got 12k NIGHT. Not life-changing but it feels good to earn it. Also, join their Discord - the devs answer questions there.
Posted by Aayansh Singh

09:29 AM 11/21/2025

This is a textbook example of how not to do an airdrop. 15% unclaimed? That means 3.6B tokens are just sitting there. Who decided the weights? Why 50% to ADA? Cardano is a dead chain. This is just a vanity project for some dev who wanted to feel important. The whole thing is a waste of time.
Posted by Rebecca Amy

10:09 AM 11/21/2025

I claimed. But honestly? I don't even know what I'm supposed to do with NIGHT. I just got it because I had ada. Now I'm just waiting. I don't even use privacy chains. This feels like collecting stamps I'll never use.