Cardano privacy-focused sidechain Midnight Network has opened the Claim Phase of its NIGHT tokens.

Dubbed “Glacier Drop,” this phase will distribute NIGHT tokens to eligible wallets across eight blockchain ecosystems, according to an August 5 announcement. The launch follows publication of Midnight’s tokenomics paper earlier this summer, which set out the network’s distribution model and role for NIGHT. 

Midnight stated that Glacier Drop will be a multi-phase, community-focused distribution intended to broaden access while resisting manipulation. 

After the current Claim Phase, a 30-day “Scavenger Mine” will let newcomers perform on-chain work for unclaimed tokens, and a four-year “Lost-and-Found” will enable late claims from original eligible wallets following mainnet launch.

Eligibility was determined by a June 11 snapshot. Wallets holding at least $100 in native tokens on Bitcoin, Ethereum, Cardano, Solana, BNB Chain, Brave, Ripple (XRP Ledger), or Avalanche can connect to the official claim portal and redeem an allocation. 

The window to claim remains open for 60 days, according to the project’s announcement and portal guidance. 

Midnight Foundation president Fahmi Syed stated: 

“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.”

Participants can access the claim process via Midnight’s official Glacier Drop portal by connecting a qualifying wallet and following the non-custodial flow.

Tokens remain locked

Claimed NIGHT does not unlock immediately. Once the mainnet is live, tokens will enter a Redemption Period that releases holdings in four random “thaw” events over 360 days, a structure designed to smooth supply and reward longer-term participation. 

Midnight TGE, the entity responsible for the initial NIGHT distribution in line with the network’s decentralization plan, will administer the rollout. The team reiterated that users should verify they are using the official URL before connecting a wallet. 

Midnight positions itself as a privacy-first network that uses zero-knowledge proofs and selective disclosure to let users share data when necessary while keeping sensitive information protected. 

The project is being developed as a sidechain within the Cardano ecosystem, providing interoperability while targeting data-protection use cases.

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Cardano’s privacy-focused sidechain, Midnight, continues to make progress according to the most recent “State of the Network” report for March 2025. The update details recent progress, community insights, and new collaborations. While the protocol’s full launch is still a work in progress, the project’s growing ecosystem is already evident through hackathons, partnership announcements, and improved documentation.

What’s Up With Cardano’s Midnight?

The team emphasizes that while a protocol defines rules, the people participating in a network shape it from day to day. Between December 2024 and January 2025, Midnight gathered survey responses illustrating the community’s breadth. Twelve percent of participants identified themselves as blockchain developers, while thirty-nine percent described themselves as “seasoned pros” in blockchain. Forty-six percent rated themselves as “somewhat experienced,” and the remaining fifteen percent are still in the learning phase.

A recent highlight of Midnight’s development was the ZK Identity Challenge, which presented real-world applications of zero-knowledge (ZK) technology. One standout submission came from Brick Towers, a team led by Sergey Kisel and Imants Firsts, who showcased how Midnight’s smart contracts can protect consumer privacy in an online wine sales scenario. When a customer places an order, the transaction request is recorded privately on the blockchain. Instead of uploading identification documents, buyers generate a ZK proof based on their ID, verifying that they meet the legal drinking age without exposing unnecessary personal details.

If verification fails, the user is notified locally without revealing any on-chain data. When the proof is valid, the transaction finalizes, confirming on the ledger that the purchase was made, payment was completed, and the buyer satisfied the age requirement through a trusted identity provider. This solution lets merchants comply with regulations for selling age-restricted products without collecting or storing sensitive personal data. The result is a user experience that securely and seamlessly handles identity verification on-chain while preserving privacy.

Moreover, OpenZeppelin, known for securing more than $21 trillion in on-chain value, is now bringing its extensive experience to Midnight. The company is developing a Compact smart contract library, along with frameworks and starter applications tailored for Midnight. This collaboration provides developers with familiar yet robust tools and is expected to accelerate the creation and deployment of privacy-oriented decentralized applications (DApps) on the network.

idnight has also partnered with Zoniqx, which is introducing its enterprise-grade DyCIST (Dynamic Compliant Interoperable Security Token) framework to the sidechain. This move allows financial institutions and enterprise developers to construct secure, compliant real-world asset (RWA) tokenization solutions without overhauling their current infrastructure. By combining built-in compliance oracles, identity management, and the privacy features of Midnight, these applications can cater to industries dealing with assets such as real estate, private equity, insurance products, and carbon credits.

Midnight’s documentation portal has been significantly updated to help developers find exactly what they need. A new release overview page consolidates all details about each component, including summaries of recent changes and direct links to Docker images and Node packages. This overview provides deeper insights into new features, bug fixes, and upgrade instructions.

A network compatibility matrix has also been introduced to prevent integration or version conflicts. The matrix allows developers to verify which components, whether they are the Node, Indexer, Wallet SDK, or DApp APIs, will work smoothly together in any given release.

Despite steady strides forward, the full launch of Cardano’s Midnight Protocol is still in development. A testnet was launched in 2024. Midnight is intended to safeguard sensitive data by offering a multi-token model in which NIGHT tokens drive governance and DUST tokens enable shielded transactions.

It aims to unify the crypto ecosystem and foster widespread enterprise adoption. According to the team, DUST tokens will be available to retail users through a relatively light “mining” process called the Glacier drop, and a proportion of NIGHT tokens will be distributed to participants across various networks, including ADA holders.

At press time, Cardano traded at $0.6786.

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Blockchain development firm Peersyst Technology has confirmed the live testnet launch of an Ethereum-compatible sidechain for the XRP Ledger. The project, known as the XRPL EVM sidechain, is being propelled by a collaboration that includes RippleX—the research and development arm of Ripple—as well as the Web3 interoperability platform Axelar Network and blockchain science firm Common Prefix.

Announcing the milestone on X, Peersyst Technology proclaimed: “The wait is over… Excited to share that the XRPL EVM Sidechain is now live on Testnet! In a great collaborative effort between RippleX, Axelar, Common Prefix and Peersyst teams, we’ve been able to complete this critical milestone in preparation for the Mainnet launch, which is now just around the corner. A new era of interoperability and programmability for XRP is upon us.”

The team has launched a new website, xrplevm.org, where developers can integrate the EVM Testnet into MetaMask. A faucet enables users to easily obtain tokens on the EVM testnet, while an additional faucet is accessible via the Discord community. Another highlight is the introduction of a new bridge, powered by Squid Router, that allows for cross-chain transfers between the XRPL and the EVM sidechain.

Peersyst also called on the developer community to begin migrating projects from Devnet to Testnet, noting in its announcement: “Calling all developers of the XRPL EVM sidechain. You can now migrate your projects from Devnet to Testnet to test them in a production environment. We’ve released new documentation with step-by-step support for users, developers, and validators. All information is updated and available at the new docs.xrplevm.org.”

Bringing Ethereum Smart Contracts To The XRP Ledger

According to the official documentation, the EVM is an extended environment built on the Cosmos SDK, designed to run Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM) smart contracts. The sidechain utilizes a Proof-of-Authority (PoA) consensus model, emphasizing low latency and high performance while still retaining the security features of the XRPL.

Axelar Network enables asset and message transfer between the XRPL and other blockchains, with the token bridged from the main ledger serving as the native currency on the sidechain. The sidechain fully supports Solidity-based smart contracts, offering developers the chance to reuse popular Ethereum tools such as Remix, Truffle, and MetaMask.

Moreover, transaction finality is under four seconds, and fees are significantly lower compared to Ethereum, creating a cost-effective environment for dApp development. Axelar integration and a dedicated EVM bridge allow for seamless asset movement between XRPL, the EVM sidechain, and other networks, enabling advanced use cases in DeFi and NFTs.

Built using Cosmos SDK and powered by Evmos, the EVM is designed for modular scalability, supporting Byzantine Fault Tolerance (BFT) through the CometBFT (Tendermint) protocol.

The EVM sidechain aims to merge XRPL’s well-known speed and affordability with Ethereum’s versatile smart contract ecosystem. This opens the door to a range of possibilities, from cost-efficient decentralized application (dApp) development to cross-chain DeFi protocols and NFT platforms.

By integrating the ledger’s global payments infrastructure with EVM-based programmability, developers gain the flexibility to automate settlement processes, manage assets across blockchains, and create new financial tools that leverage XRP’s liquidity and low transaction costs.

Peersyst, along with RippleX, Axelar Network, and Common Prefix, has hinted at further announcements in the coming days—ranging from new infrastructure integrations to additional validator partnerships. With the testnet phase already underway, developers are encouraged to begin porting their Ethereum-compatible projects to the EVM sidechain.

A mainnet launch is expected soon, marking another step toward fully combining the XRPL’s established payment capabilities with the rapid growth of Web3 technologies. Peersyt writes: “The Mainnet launch […] is now just around the corner. […] There’s still a lot more to announce, but we’re taking it step by step. In the coming days, we’ll be announcing new partners, infrastructure, validators, and much more.”

At press time, XRP traded at $2.12.

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