Midnight (NIGHT) Airdrop Details: How Cardano Holders Can Claim the Glacier Drop

Key Takeaways

• The Glacier Drop distributed 24billion NIGHT tokens across eight blockchains on Aug62025.
• 50% of the supply (12billion) was reserved for Cardano (ADA) holders.
• Eligibility required a $100 minimum holding on June112025 and excluded OFAC‑listed addresses.
• Claiming required two cryptographic proofs and a fresh Cardano wallet; the window closed on Oct42025.
• Unclaimed tokens flow into the Scavenger Mine and Lost‑and‑Found phases, with a 360‑day staggered vest‑up schedule.

What is Midnight Network?

Midnight Network is a privacy‑centric sidechain built on the Cardano ecosystem. Launched by Charles Hoskinson’s team, it aims to blend strong cryptographic privacy with real‑world usability, tackling the long‑standing trade‑off between utility and transparency on public blockchains.

Introducing the NIGHT Token and the Glacier Drop

The native utility token of Midnight is called NIGHT. Midnight minted an entire 24billion NIGHT supply as a genesis airdrop-the so‑called Glacier Drop-to kick‑start a decentralized privacy network.

Eligibility Criteria: Who Could Claim?

The snapshot was taken on June112025 at a random timestamp. Any wallet that held at least $100 worth of the native cryptocurrency of one of eight supported chains qualified. The chains and their weightings were:

Addresses appearing on the U.S. Treasury’s OFAC Specially Designated Nationals list were automatically disqualified, protecting the drop from sanctioned participants and Sybil attacks.

Claiming Process: Two‑Step Cryptographic Proof

Eligible users had a 60‑day window (July-August2025) that closed on Oct42025. To receive NIGHT, participants followed these steps:

1. Visit the official portal at midnight.gd or midnight.network and connect a supported wallet (Eternl, Lace, Yoroi, MetaMask, etc.).
2. Sign a message proving custody of the qualifying address. No funds move-just a digital signature.
3. Enter a fresh, unused Cardano address where NIGHT will be minted.
4. Sign a second message confirming the destination address.

Both signatures are verified on‑chain, meaning only self‑custody holders could succeed. Custodial exchanges that did not implement a claim‑on‑behalf flow were effectively excluded.

Vesting Schedule: Gradual Thawing Over 360 Days

After a successful claim, NIGHT tokens are locked in a Cardano smart contract. The contract releases 25% of the allocation every 90 days, but each release occurs at a randomized moment within its quarter. This “gradual thawing” design dampens speculative dumping and encourages holders to participate in block production, governance, and DUST‑fuelled app building.

The full unlock completes 360days after Midnight’s mainnet launch-not from the claim date-adding uncertainty about when tokens become fully liquid.

What Happens to Unclaimed Tokens?

Tokens that missed the primary window automatically roll into phase two, the Scavenger Mine. Participants solve public‑good computational puzzles, earning a proportion of the leftover supply while simultaneously seeding core network resources.

Any tokens that remain after the Scavenger Mine flow into phase three, the Lost‑and‑Found. This final recovery stage opens after mainnet launch, giving late‑comers a chance to claim via a lightweight proof‑of‑work‑like mechanism.

Impact on the Cardano Community

With half of the total NIGHT supply allocated to ADA holders, the Glacier Drop represents one of the biggest token distributions in Cardano history. Roughly several million Cardano wallets met the $100 threshold, meaning the airdrop reached deep into the community rather than staying concentrated among early investors.

However, the requirement to provide a Cardano destination address introduced friction for users who only held Bitcoin or Ethereum. Many participants had to set up an Eternl or Lace wallet-an extra step that likely reduced claim rates among non‑Cardano holders.

Educational resources (video guides, step‑by‑step blog posts) proved crucial. Community members who shared screen‑recorded tutorials saw higher claim‑completion rates, underscoring the need for clear documentation when launching cross‑chain airdrops.

Future Outlook: Mainnet, DUST, and Network Growth

Midnight’s dual‑token model pairs NIGHT (utility) with DUST (transaction‑fee token). Once mainnet launches, NIGHT holders can stake, vote, and run privacy‑preserving nodes, while DUST pays for private transactions. The staggered vesting and phased redistribution aim to keep a healthy, engaged validator set rather than a burst of short‑term speculators.

Regulators will be watching how Midnight balances privacy with OFAC screening. Its approach-privacy‑by‑design yet compliance‑first-could set a precedent for the next generation of privacy‑focused blockchains.

Quick Checklist for Anyone Still Tracking the Airdrop

• Did you hold at least $100 of a supported asset on June112025?
• Are you on the OFAC‑clean list?
• Do you have a self‑custody Cardano wallet (Eternl, Lace, Yoroi, etc.)?
• Did you complete both signature steps before Oct42025?
• If you missed the window, consider joining the Scavenger Mine puzzles to earn leftover NIGHT.