Cardano’s new privacy-focused sidechain, Midnight, has officially launched its Glacier Drop to distribute 24 billion NIGHT tokens, yet ADA’s price shows minimal movement.
Key Takeaways:
- The NIGHT token will go live on December 8, 2025, through Cardano’s Midnight Network, with ADA holders eligible for allocations.
- The airdrop will feature a phased unlocking schedule to prevent mass selling, distributing tokens over time.
- ADA’s price has remained muted around $0.469 despite the high-profile token launch, reflecting cautious market sentiment.
Cardano confirmed that its privacy-focused Midnight sidechain will launch the NIGHT token on December 8, 2025. The announcement, shared on X (formerly Twitter) via verified Cardano community channels and crypto news outlets, signals the start of a highly anticipated cross-chain airdrop. The Glacier Drop mechanism will distribute NIGHT tokens to eligible users, prioritizing ADA holders but also extending to other supported networks.
Cross‑Chain Distribution and Phased Unlock
The NIGHT token airdrop spans multiple blockchains, and ADA holders will receive substantial portion of the total supply. Tokens claimed during the Glacier Drop will follow a phased unlocking schedule, which guarantees that not all tokens will enter the circulation promptly. This approach is designed to mitigate speculative dumping and support sustainable ecosystem growth. The phased unlocks will occur over several months following the December 8 launch, allowing participants to claim tokens by batch.
To receive NIGHT tokens, participants must verify wallet ownership at the snapshot date and link a compatible Cardano address. The structured release plan is intended to encourage engagement and long-term commitment from the community, rather than short-term speculation.
Hoskinson Highlights Privacy and Long-Term Vision
Cardano founder Charles Hoskinson emphasized that Midnight and NIGHT reflect Cardano’s ongoing focus on privacy and regulatory-friendly smart contracts. On their keynote address, Hoskinson showcased the upcoming Midnight ecosystem roadmap, where they specified the rollout of core network capabilities during the upcoming year, organized across four distinct stages.
Hoskinson described the Glacier Drop as “a significant milestone” for the ecosystem, combining cross-chain functionality with a commitment to sustained community participation. Officials also highlighted that the token’s phased release is designed to incentivize meaningful on-chain activity while discouraging immediate sell-offs.
ADA Holds Steady as Traders Eye NIGHT Launch
The native token of Cardano (ADA) has experienced a marked decline ahead of the upcoming NIGHT launch on December 8. As of this writing (10:30AM UTC), ADA is trading at approximately $0.4671, showing a 5.6% drop over the past 24 hours. The token even went as low as $0.4580 in the day after reaching intraday highs of $0.4969, according to CoinGecko’s real-time market data.
The drop comes amid mounting pressure from macro‑factors and heavy wallet activity. Analysts point out that large “whale” holders have offloaded significant quantities (estimated at 440 million ADA) this month, while retail accumulation continues at lower levels.
What’s Next
Security remains a concern for users engaging with the upcoming airdrop, including potential phishing attempts and wallet verification issues. Analysts recommend confirming all transactions through official channels. Looking ahead, key developments to monitor include the actual December 8 mainnet launch, the pace of token unlocks, and adoption of Midnight for real-world applications. These factors will determine whether NIGHT strengthens Cardano’s ecosystem and contributes to long-term value for ADA.
Summary
Cardano’s Midnight sidechain is launching a Glacier Drop of 24 billion NIGHT tokens on December 8, 2025, with phased unlocks to curb selling, while ADA’s price has remained relatively flat amid cautious market sentiment.
