Key Takeaways:
- Season 2 launches with over $3 M in total rewards, introduces the new applXTZ token with 20% unlocked upfront, remainder vested over 6 months.
- Over a dozen DeFi protocols participated, including Uniswap v3 pools on Etherlink, featuring refreshed bi‑weekly reward schedules.
- Modest market reaction observed: ETH currently trades at $3,644 while Chainlink shows RSI bounce from deeply oversold territory.
Etherlink’s Season 2 of Apple Farm has officially kicked off on July 24, 2025 with a total reward pool exceeding $3 million and a “new way to claim”. The campaign is designed to spur DeFi engagement by deploying applXTZ, a fresh reward token pegged to XTZ: 20% is claimable immediately, while the remaining 80% vests across six months.
Season 2 introduces several enhancements. It features dynamic, bi‑weekly rotating rewards on top Etherlink-native DeFi protocols that include Jumper.Exchange, Lombard, Curve, OKU, Gearbox, Stacy.fi, Hanji, Superlend, Uranium.io, and IguanaDEX encouraging sustained participation. New network upgrades boost contract storage 30x and cut bridging times from 15 days to under a minute.
Words from stakeholders
David Relkn, Head of DeFi at Nomadic labs highlighted some of the updates and new features of the Season 2, noting:
Season 1 showed there’s strong demand for smart, well‑structured incentives… With Season 2, we’re leveling up, more partners, more flexibility, and reward mechanics designed to keep users active and engaged over time. We’re building real, lasting value for the ecosystem.
Meanwhile, Pablo Veyrat, co-founder of Merkl (Apple Farm’s engine) emphasized the new season’s potential of its presence with its new upgrades, saying that it is “more dynamic, more accessible, and we think it’s going to drive even stronger engagement across the board.
Price and Market Impact
As of writing, ETH trades at $3,646 with a 24-hour gain of 1%, demonstrating relative stability despite the protocol-level incentives. The broader crypto market faces sideways movement, while Chainlink (LINK) recently saw its RSI rebound from an oversold value near 30.5, now compressing around $19.05. This suggests a mild bullish correction risk.
Although Apple farm itself doesn’t directly associate token issuance that influences ETH or LINK prices, it boosts transaction throughput and DeFi utilization on Etherlink, which are metrics that future on-chain may reflect.
What’s Next?
Apple Farm Season 2 builds on its successful predecessor by delivering $3 million in DeFi incentives, a new reward token with fixed payout structures, and integration across diverse protocols. ETH and LINK’s current prices remain largely unaffected as of the moment, but having an enhanced network activity and reduced latency gives Etherlink more power to capture growing DeFi demand. The next few weeks will reveal whether applXTZ driving yields translates into measurable on-chain adoption and protocol traction.
Summary
Apple Farm Season 2 launched on Etherlink on July 24, 2025, with a $3 million incentive pool and a new reward token, applXTZ. The campaign aims to strengthen DeFi engagement by distributing bi-weekly rotating rewards through top Etherlink-native protocols like Uniswap v3, Jumper, Curve, and Gearbox. Upgrades include faster bridging and expanded contract capacity. 20% of rewards are unlocked upfront; the rest vests over six months. While ETH and LINK prices remain stable, increased transaction activity and developer participation may drive measurable growth in Etherlink’s DeFi ecosystem in the coming weeks.
