In a move to spark cross-chain adoption and increase activity on its privacy-focused sidechain Midnight, Cardano has announced a major airdrop campaign aimed specifically at XRP holders. The initiative was revealed by Cardano founder Charles Hoskinson during a recent AMA.
The initiative was revealed by Cardano founder Charles Hoskinson during a recent AMA.
According to Hoskinson, two separate campaigns — the Midnight Drop and the Glacier Drop — will distribute a combined 1.2 billion NIGHT tokens, the governance and utility token for the Midnight ecosystem.
To qualify, participants must have held at least $100 worth of XRP in a supported wallet as of June 11, 2025. This snapshot date locks in eligibility, and token claims will begin in the weeks ahead.
The NIGHT token will serve as the foundation for privacy-preserving smart contracts and DeFi applications running on Midnight, enabling features like staking, governance, and private on-chain transactions.
By targeting the XRP community, Cardano aims to introduce a new layer of functionality to users who have traditionally lacked access to DeFi tools. Midnight allows users to interact with decentralized apps while maintaining financial privacy through zero-knowledge cryptography.
