Ink is an Ethereum Layer 2 blockchain built by Kraken on the OP Stack, designed as a low-fee home for DeFi within the Optimism Superchain.
The US-based crypto exchange has confirmed a future INK token airdrop through its Kraken Drops program, with Kraken Pro trading activity currently the only confirmed way to earn points toward it.
Status: Active, points accruing ahead of an unconfirmed TGE
Token confirmed: Airdrop confirmed, exact allocation percentage not yet announced
TGE Date: No official date has been announced. Ponzi Trader, an advisor to Ink Chain and Nado, gave an informal estimate of July to September 2026 in an interview, but this is not a confirmed date from Ink Chain or Kraken directly. As of September 1, 2026, that informal window is nearly two-thirds elapsed, with roughly one month remaining if it holds
Reward: Ink points, currently earned only through Kraken Pro trading activity, with onchain dApp activity not yet confirmed to count
Chain: Ink, an OP Stack Layer 2 within the Optimism Superchain
Ink connects Kraken’s CEX user base with onchain DeFi opportunities, and apps including SuperSwap, Velodrome, and the Aave-powered Tydro lending protocol are already active on the chain.
Nado, a perpetual DEX on Ink, and Tydro’s liquidity providers have both been confirmed as separate eligibility paths for the INK airdrop alongside Kraken Pro activity.
Am I Eligible for the Ink Chain Airdrop?
Right now, Kraken Pro trading activity is the only confirmed source of Ink points, calculated and added weekly based on the prior week’s activity.
Points began accruing for existing users starting April 6, 2026, with the first calculated distribution landing April 13, 2026.
Nado trading activity and Tydro liquidity provision have also been confirmed as eligibility criteria, though how these different activity types will ultimately be weighted against each other has not been announced. Whether broader onchain activity across other Ink dApps earns points has not been confirmed.
If you are tracking other campaigns other than Ink Chain, our airdrops page covers the active campaigns worth watching right now.
How to Participate in the Ink Chain Airdrop
- Sign up at Kraken and complete identity verification. An active, verified Kraken account is the most confirmed path to eligibility right now, since Kraken Pro activity directly counts toward Ink points.
- Trade on Kraken Pro regularly. Points are calculated weekly based on the prior week’s activity, with specific boosts including 2x points for cash deposits, 3x points through a reactivation bonus for returning users, and a bonus for setting price alerts.
- Check the Ink Points leaderboard to see your current rank among other Kraken Pro users.
- Download Kraken Wallet and switch to the Ink network. Because the wallet has first-party Ink support, moving assets from Kraken to Ink carries no withdrawal fee, and early Kraken Wallet users can start earning INK points by swapping tokens, buying NFTs, and interacting with Nado and Tydro directly inside the wallet.
- If you already hold crypto on another chain, purchase ETH through an exchange and bridge it to the Ink mainnet through the official Ink Dashboard’s supported bridges.
- Use the Nado perpetual DEX with your bridged funds. Nado trading activity is confirmed to count toward Nado’s own points system and toward INK airdrop eligibility.
- Supply assets to Tydro to earn yield or borrow against collateral. Tydro activity is confirmed as a separate eligibility path for the INK airdrop.
- Explore other apps on the Ink ecosystem, including Velodrome, InkyPump, and GM check-ins. Spreading activity across multiple apps is generally considered more valuable for retroactive distributions than heavy use of a single app.
- Consider registering a .ink domain through ZNS, sending a GM transaction to another user, or deploying a simple smart contract through OnChainGM. Each is a low-cost way to add on-chain history to your wallet, though none are confirmed to directly count toward points.
- Check the Ink Guild for role requirements, which have served as eligibility checkpoints for other airdrops.
- If interested, mint an Ink Pass NFT, currently available through public minting via Sweep, which offers ecosystem benefits and potential additional airdrop eligibility.
Potential Risks in Participating in the Ink Chain Airdrop
The primary confirmed path to Ink points requires real trading activity on a centralized exchange, a materially different risk profile than free social-task airdrops.
Kraken Pro Trading Requires Real Capital
Since Kraken Pro trading is currently the only confirmed source of Ink points, earning a meaningful position requires depositing and trading real funds on a CEX, not completing free tasks.
No TGE Date or Allocation Percentage Is Confirmed
Ink Chain has confirmed an airdrop will happen, and that allocation is planned, but it has not announced an exact percentage or official launch date.
PonziTrader, an advisor to Ink Chain and Nado, gave an informal July-to-September 2026 estimate in an interview, but that is not an official, confirmed timeline.
As of this writing on September 1, 2026, that informal window has roughly one month left, so it is worth watching for an official announcement in the coming weeks, though nothing guarantees the estimate holds even if it arrives on schedule.
It’s Unclear How Points Convert to Tokens
How Ink points will convert into an actual token allocation, and whether onchain dApp activity will eventually earn points alongside Kraken Pro trading, has not been announced. Current point totals measure activity, not a confirmed guarantee of a specific token amount.
InkScore Appears to Be a Separate Program
InkScore is not clearly identified as an official Kraken or Ink Chain program.
InkScore has clarified that it runs two separate eligibility phases. The wallet checker on the InkScore website covers Phase 1 only, which closed more than three months ago, so a wallet not appearing there says nothing about whether it was included in the more recent Phase 2 snapshot.
InkScore has also confirmed a PFP NFT collection with a supply of 888, limited to the InkScore community and set to launch on Ink, though no mint date has been shared yet.
Frequently Asked Questions
Need a refresher? Here are the questions most readers ask about the Ink Chain airdrop before getting started.
When will the INK token launch?
No official TGE date has been announced. Ponzi Trader, an advisor to Ink Chain and Nado, gave an informal estimate of July to September 2026 in an interview, but Kraken has not confirmed this timeline directly, and the actual date depends on milestones the team has not yet disclosed. As of September 1, 2026, that informal window is getting close, with roughly one month left if the estimate proves accurate.
How are Ink points currently earned?
Kraken Pro trading activity is the only confirmed method right now, calculated and added weekly based on the prior week’s activity. Nado trading and Tydro liquidity provision have also been confirmed as separate eligibility paths, though whether broader onchain activity earns points has not been confirmed.
Is the Ink Chain airdrop free to participate in?
Not entirely. Kraken Pro activity requires trading with real funds, so it carries real financial risk. Onchain activity on Ink mainnet requires bridged ETH for gas, though amounts tend to be minimal given the chain’s low fees.
Do I need a Kraken account to qualify for the INK airdrop?
Kraken Pro activity is currently the only confirmed eligibility criterion, so a verified Kraken account is the clearest confirmed path. Onchain wallet activity on Ink mainnet, specifically through Nado and Tydro, has also been confirmed as a factor.
Are Nado and Tydro users eligible for the INK airdrop separately from Kraken Pro traders?
Yes. Ink Chain has confirmed that Nado perpetual DEX users and Tydro liquidity providers are eligible for the INK airdrop alongside Kraken Pro traders, though it has not announced the exact weighting between these activity types.
Will there be future airdrops beyond the first distribution?
Kraken has framed INK distribution as an ongoing program tied to milestones, not a one-time event. Based on how Kraken Drops has worked for other assets, multiple distributions over time are possible, though nothing specific beyond the first has been confirmed.
