- Charles Hoskinson rejected insider hoarding rumors as over 69,000 wallets claimed 1.3B NIGHT tokens.
- Midnight’s 60-day claim window may drive a late surge in participation despite slower early adoption.
- Fireblocks partnership adds secure storage support, boosting trust and institutional interest in Midnight.
Charles Hoskinson, the face behind Cardano, has stepped in to shut down fresh rumors about the Midnight airdrop. A meme doing the rounds on X jokingly implied that most of the NIGHT tokens would end up back in Hoskinson’s wallet, sparking chatter about insider hoarding. He was quick to call the claims “misinformation,” posting live claim data that showed steady uptake. As of August 19, more than 69,000 wallets had already claimed 1.3 billion tokens — a figure that clearly undercuts the conspiracy talk.
Midnight’s Token Claim Gains Momentum
Despite the noise, the airdrop is moving along at a decent pace. Data shows that about 5.5% of the total NIGHT supply has already been claimed, with 250 million snapped up within the first 24 hours. The drop went live in early August and will run for 60 days, giving plenty of time for latecomers. Analysts pointed out that participation might spike closer to the deadline, since claim windows like this often see a rush near the finish line. That setup could make distribution appear slow now, but it leaves room for a bigger second wave.
Mixed Sentiment Around Adoption
Not everyone is convinced, though. Some analysts argue Midnight’s adoption looks weaker compared to other speculative blockchain launches, suggesting Cardano’s ecosystem just doesn’t move with the same hype cycles. Still, others stress that comparing apples to memecoins isn’t exactly fair — Midnight is structured differently and leans more on long-term utility. The airdrop itself has also been designed to spread across ADA, XRP, BTC, and multichain users, with ADA wallets receiving the lion’s share at 50% of the supply. XRP accounts for 5%, with the rest split between other chains.
Building Out the Midnight Ecosystem
To strengthen trust, Midnight has partnered with Fireblocks, a well-known name in digital asset security. Fireblocks now supports both claiming and storage of NIGHT tokens, a move aimed at attracting institutional users wary of mishandled airdrops. The company praised Midnight’s privacy-first design and positioned itself as a backer of Hoskinson’s broader mission to bring credibility into Cardano’s latest side project. With security partnerships rolling in and participation climbing, the project seems to be carving out its space despite the noise online.
