ZKsync, a layer 2 scaling solution, is gearing up for a significant airdrop of its new ZK token next week. The ZKsync Association has announced plans to distribute 3.675 billion ZK tokens to early users of the ZKsync network, which accounts for 17.5% of the total 21 billion supply.
This airdrop is set to be one of the largest token distributions across major layer 2 networks to date, rewarding users of ZKsync Era and ZKsync Lite, as well as developers, communities, and projects that have contributed to the ZKsync ecosystem. The majority of the airdropped tokens, around 89% (approximately 3.27 billion ZK), will go to regular users who have transacted on the network and met eligibility criteria. The remaining 11% will be allocated to developers, communities, and projects involved in building on ZKsync.
In addition, a small portion of 0.5% will be set aside for experimental communities, including recipients of the DEGEN and BONSAI airdrops, Crypto The Game players, and holders of Pudgy Penguins and Milady Maker NFTs. Users will be able to claim their airdropped ZK tokens starting next week until January 3, 2025, with no vesting period attached.
Founder Alex Gluchowski emphasized the importance of prioritizing the community by awarding them a larger portion of tokens compared to the ZKsync team and investors. This move is aimed at ensuring that the community will have a significant say in governing the ZKsync protocol once it launches. The airdrop strategy is designed to favor genuine users over bots and whales, with mechanisms like a 100,000 ZK per wallet cap in place.
The remaining ZK token allocations include 49.1% for ecosystem initiatives via the ZKsync Foundation, 17.2% for investors with a vesting period from 2025 to 2028, and 16.1% for the Matter Labs team following the same vesting schedule.
Currently trading at around $0.71 on perpetual exchanges like Aevo, the 3.675 billion airdropped tokens would be valued at approximately $2.6 billion based on the total supply of 21 billion. This airdrop represents a significant opportunity for early adopters and active supporters of ZKsync.
